Earthquakes.GS

Shake it Baby!

Japan Relief

USGS Earthquakes
USGS Real Time
Maps

Powerful Earthquakes

Largest Recorded
2009 Costa Rica
2009 Italy
2009 Mexico
2009 Seattle
2008 Sichuan
2008 Chicago
2008 Nevada
1995 Kobe
1994 Northridge
Northridge Causes
1992 Turkey
1989 Loma Prieta
1989 San Francisco
1964 Alaska
1939 Chilean
1927 China
1923 Tokyo
1906 San Francisco
1812 New Madrid

Earthquake Learning Center

Earthquake Definition
Why They Happen
How They Form
How Measured
Forecasting
Fault Lines
Damage
Activity
NEIC
Index Map
Moonquakes
Interesting Facts
California
Nevada
Yellowstone
Recent
Where They Take Place
Prediction Lights
Safety Kit
Shake Proof Buildings
Prepardness Story

Info
Faqs
Sitemap

Earthquakes Shake Terribly and It's Not Your Fault.

This site is purely informational. We aim to create a place where seismologists, geophysicists, geologists, and the general public can exchange ideas.. Please send contributions to admin@earthquakes.gs

San Francisco Earthquake

In 1906, an earthquake, in San Francisco, nearly destroyed the entire city. The earthquake reported to have killed over 700 people. However, it is believed that this number is a gross underestimation and that the loss of life may have been three or four times greater (ellsworth, 1990).

What makes the earthquake memorable is the fire that spread throughout the city. Many buildings were burned down.

Seismologist by the name of Reid formulated the elastic-rebound theory of the earthquake source. This theory, to this day, remains steadfast as the model for the earthquake cycle.

At the time, plate tectonics was not a known geological fact. For this reason, many geologists were confounded by the sheer length and size of the quake. Plate tectonics did not become a popularized theory until the 1960s (src: Wikipedia).

Since 1906, there have been additional earthquakes in the San Francisco area. Here is a video of one that happened in 1989. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GfHkRNnZDE