Location | Year | Magnitude1 | Intensity2
Max. / in NJ |
Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|
New York City |
1737 | VII / VII | Chimneys down in New York City. Felt in Boston, Massachusetts and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. |
|
Cape Ann, Massachusetts .
|
1755 | 6.0 | VIII / IV | Chimneys and brick buildings down in Boston. Its tsunami grounded boats in the West Indies |
West of New York City
|
1783 | VII / VII | Felt from New Hampshire to Pennsylvania. | |
New Madrid, Missouri
|
1811-1812 | 8.0-8.8 | XII / IV-V | Four great earthquakes. Changed course of Mississippi River. Town of New Madrid destroyed. Loss of life low due to sparse settlement. Damage in Chicago. |
New York City
|
1884 | 5.5 | VII / VII | Toppled chimneys in New York City and New Jersey. Cracked masonry from Hartford, Connecticut to West Chester, Pennsylvania. Felt from Maine to Virginia, and eastern Ohio. |
Charleston, South Carolina
|
1886 | 7.7 | X / IV | Sixty killed. Over 10,000 chimneys down. |
New Jersey Coast
|
1927 | VII / VII | Several chimneys down from Asbury Park to Long Branch. |
1 Richter Scale
2 Modified Mercalli Scale
Description | Magnitude | Average Annually |
---|---|---|
Great | 8 and higher | 1 per year |
Major | 7 - 7.9 | 18 |
Strong | 6 - 6.9 | 120 |
Moderate | 5 - 5.9 | 800 |
Light | 4 - 4.9 | 6,200 (estimate) |
Minor | 3 - 3.9 | 49,000 (estimate) |
Very Minor | 2 - 2.9 | 1,000 per day |
------ | 1 - 1.9 | 8,000 per day |
Microearthquakes | less than 1 | 60,000 per day |
1 Based on observations since 1900. Modified from United States Geological
Survey, internet
address: wwwneic.cr.usgs.gov/neis/general/handouts/faq.html
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