1980 Honduras earthquake
  | |
| UTC time | 1980-08-09 05:45:10 |
|---|---|
| ISC event | 639880 |
| USGS-ANSS | ComCat |
| Local date | August 8, 1980 |
| Local time | 23:45:10 |
| Magnitude | between 6.4 and 6.7 |
| Depth | 22 km (14 mi) |
| Epicenter | 15°53′17″N 88°30′58″W / 15.888°N 88.516°W[1] |
| Max. intensity | MMI VII (Very strong) [2] |
| Casualties | 2 deaths |
The 1980 Honduras earthquake struck just offshore
UTC
. Two people were killed and many injured.
Geology
The earthquake's epicenter lay in the Gulf of Honduras, just offshore.[3]
Honduras lies just off the triple-junction of the
converging by subduction, Cocos under the Caribbean, at a rate of 6.5 cm (2.6 in) to 10 cm (3.9 in) annually.[6] Within Honduras, there are at least three other major faults–La Ceiba, Guyape, and Aguan–apparently unrelated to plate movement.[7]
Damage and casualties
The earthquake hit at 05:45
surface wave magnitude.[8] The quake was felt throughout Honduras, Belize, and parts of Guatemala.[3] Damage was recorded at the port town of Livingston and extended to northwestern Puerto Rico; this damage is poorly recorded.[9]
The earthquake severed communications with rural hill and coastal villages in Honduras, and it frightened thousands of people into leaving their homes. Early reports listed only one fatality; a man from
rail line all at least partially collapsed, the homes all fully. As a result, three people were injured by downed walls and ceilings. In Puerto Barrios, two homes collapsed. Belize City, 100 mi (160 km) to the north, experienced the shaking but reported no damage. The earthquake did not extend to Tegucigalpa, Honduras' capital, or Guatemala's capital, Guatemala City.[3]
See also
References
- ^ "Significant earthquake". National Geophysical Data Center. Retrieved 18 August 2013.
- ^ "M 6.4 - 19 km NNE of Puerto Barrios, Guatemala - Impact". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
- ^ a b c d e f "Sharp quake shakes cities in Caribbean". The Register-Guard. Baker III, Alton F. August 10, 1980. p. 8A.
- ^ Kiremidjian, Sutch, and Shah, p. 4.
- ^ Kiremidjian, Sutch, and Shah, p. 6.
- ^ Kiremidjian, Sutch, and Shah, p. 7.
- ^ Kiremidjian, Sutch, and Shah, p. 17.
- ^ a b "Significant Earthquakes of the World: 1980". United States Geological Survey. January 5, 2010. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
- ^ a b Ambraseys and Adams, p. 198.
Sources
- ISBN 9781860942440.
- Kiremidjian, A. S.; Sutch, P.; Shah, H. C. (December 1979). Seismic Hazard Analysis of Honduras (Report). Stanford University.
External links
- The International Seismological Centre has a bibliography and/or authoritative data for this event.