1949 Olympia earthquake

1949 Olympia earthquake
Olympia
Seattle
Tacoma
UTC time 1949-04-13 19:55:43
ISC event 896466
USGS-ANSS ComCat
Local date April 13, 1949 (1949-04-13)
Local time 11:55:44
Duration ~ 20 s [1]
Magnitude 6.7 Mw [2]
Depth 50 km (31 mi) [2]
Epicenter 47°00′N 122°32′W / 47.0°N 122.53°W / 47.0; -122.53Coordinates: 47°00′N 122°32′W / 47.0°N 122.53°W / 47.0; -122.53 [2]
Areas affected Puget Sound region
Washington
United States
Total damage $25 million [3]
Max. intensity VIII (Severe) [3]
Peak acceleration .25g [1]
Casualties 8 killed [3]
At least 64 injured [4]

The 1949 Olympia earthquake occurred on April 13 at 11:55:44 local time with a moment magnitude of 6.7 and a maximum Mercalli Intensity of VIII (Severe). The shock was located in the area between Olympia and Tacoma, and was felt throughout the state, as well as parts of Oregon, British Columbia, Idaho, and Montana. It is the largest recorded earthquake to occur in the Puget Sound region of Washington. Eight people were killed, a minimum of 64 people were injured, and the total damage is estimated at $25 million.

Damage

Damage in Olympia from the earthquake was estimated between $500,000 and $1 million by Governor Arthur B. Langlie.[5] Eight buildings on the State Capital campus were damaged by the earthquake, as well as the Old Capitol Building in downtown Olympia.[6]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Baker, G. E.; Langston, C. A. (1987), "Source parameters of the 1949 magnitude 7.1 south Puget Sound, Washington, earthquake as determined from long-period body waves and strong ground motions", Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 77 (5): 1546
  2. 1 2 3 ISC (2014), ISC-GEM Global Instrumental Earthquake Catalogue (1900–2009), Version 1.05, International Seismological Centre
  3. 1 2 3 Stover, C. W.; Coffman, J. L. (1993), Seismicity of the United States, 1568–1989 (Revised), U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1527, United States Government Printing Office, pp. 380, 385, 386
  4. ↑ "Earthquake damage in Pioneer Square, Seattle, April 13, 1949". Museum of History and Industry. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  5. ↑ "Olympia Damage Half Million, Says Langlie". The Seattle Daily Times. April 19, 1949. p. 7.
  6. ↑ "Earthquake Listed as Major; 5 Dead; Damage in Millions". The Seattle Daily Times. April 13, 1949. p. 1.

Further reading

  • Hodgson, J. H.; Storey, R. S. (1954), "Direction of faulting in some of the larger earthquakes of 1949", Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 44 (1): 57–83
  • Ichinose, G. A.; Thio, H. K.; Somerville, P. G. (2006), "Moment Tensor and Rupture Model for the 1949 Olympia, Washington, Earthquake and Scaling Relations for Cascadia and Global Intraslab Earthquakes", Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 96 (3): 1029–1037, Bibcode:2006BuSSA..96.1029I, doi:10.1785/0120050132


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