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Assessing the risk of earthquakes in the eastern United States

Journal Article · · Earthqu. Inf. Bull.; (United States)
OSTI ID:5067567
Although earthquakes in the U.S. are generally considered California's problem, a number of major earthquakes have struck the central and eastern United States. The last damaging earthquake in the eastern U.S. occurred in 1886, near Charleston, SC, killing 60 people and causing extensive damage in Charleston. During the winter of 1811-12, three major earthquakes occurred near New Madrid in southeastern Missouri. Because the area, at that time, was sparsely populated, casualties were not extensive, but the quakes caused damage and ground shaking over an area 20 times larger than that for the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Because of these earthquakes and others, the potential for damaging earthquakes in the eastern U.S. is real, and this was the subject of a recent meeting of geologists, seismologists, and engineers in Knoxville, TN, in September 1981. The highlights of their discussions are presented in this article.
OSTI ID:
5067567
Journal Information:
Earthqu. Inf. Bull.; (United States), Journal Name: Earthqu. Inf. Bull.; (United States) Vol. 13:5; ISSN EQIBD
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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