1957 San Francisco earthquake

Albion

Knights Landing

Camanche

Gustine

Chualar

UTC time| 1957-03-22 19:44:22
ISC event| 886234
USGS-ANSS| ComCat
Local date| March 22, 1957 (1957-03-22)
Local time| 11:44:22 PST[1]
Magnitude| 5.7 Mw[1]
Depth| 15 km (9.3 mi)[1]
Epicenter| 37°33′26″N 122°43′26″W﻿ / ﻿37.5572°N 122.7239°W﻿ / 37.5572; -122.7239[1]
Type| Oblique-slip
Areas affected| San Francisco Bay Area
Northern California
United States
Total damage| $1 million[2]
Max. intensity| MMI VII (Very strong)[2]
Peak acceleration| 0.18 g[3]
Landslides| Yes[4]
Casualties| 1 dead, 40 injured[2]

The 1957 San Francisco earthquake (also known as the Daly City earthquake of 1957) occurred on March 22 at 11:44:22 local time with a moment magnitude of 5.7 and a maximum Mercalli Intensity of VII (Very strong). It was located just off the San Francisco Peninsula near the San Andreas Fault and was felt in a limited portion of Northern and Central California. There was a non-destructive foreshock and aftershock sequence that lasted for several months. With financial losses of around US$1 million, damage was considered minimal, with one death and forty injuries.

## Tectonic setting

[edit]

The San Andreas Fault System (SAFS) is a collection of faults that accommodates differential motion between the Pacific and North American plates and extends from the Mendocino triple junction in the north to the Salton Sea in the south. While the majority of movement occurs as right-lateral strike-slip on the significant branches of the system, including the San Jacinto and Hayward faults that are relatively near the main San Andreas Fault, other types of faults (including left-lateral strike-slip, reverse, thrust, and to a lesser extent, normal) are also present. These various fault types have been observed well east into the Basin and Range Province.[5]

## Earthquake

[edit]

Eight foreshocks (with a maximum magnitude of 3.8) preceded the main event. The first motion method was used to determine the focal mechanism of the mainshock. It was found to be dissimilar from the strike-slip movement of the 1906 earthquake, and instead showed oblique movement on a steeply-dipping thrust fault, with the eastern side of the fault rising relative to the western side. The strike-slip component was minimal and was only about half as much as the thrust component.[4]

### Damage

[edit]

Damage was non-structural and was limited to content within buildings and cracked plaster and was estimated at $1 million, not including loss to building content. The most significant effects were seen in the western portion of Daly City and in the Lake Merced area of San Francisco. The minimal losses were attributed to the short duration and lack of high intensity shaking.[6]

### Strong motion

[edit]

The event was felt over an area of 12,000 square miles. Its scientific value was reinforced because it was captured on 13 strong motion instruments. A maximum (free field) peak ground acceleration of 0.13 g was recorded in Golden Gate Park and .18 g was recorded on the fourteenth floor of a building in San Francisco.[3]

## See also

[edit]

* List of earthquakes in 1957
* List of earthquakes in California
* List of earthquakes in the United States

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d ISC (2015), ISC-GEM Global Instrumental Earthquake Catalogue (1900–2009), Version 2.0, International Seismological Centre
2. ^ a b c 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. 88, 150
3. ^ a b Cloud, W. K. (1959), "Intensity and Ground Motion of the San Francisco Earthquake of March 22, 1957", San Francisco earthquakes of March 1957, Special Report 57, California Division of Mines, pp. 51, 52
4. ^ a b Tocher, D. (1959), "Seismographic Results from the 1957 San Francisco Earthquakes", San Francisco earthquakes of March 1957, Special Report 57, California Division of Mines, pp. 61, 65, 70, 71
5. ^ Wallace, R. E. (1990), "General Features", The San Andreas Fault System, California – USGS Professional Paper 1515, United States Geological Survey, pp. 3–8, ISBN 978-06077162693-8&rft.pub=United+States+Geological+Survey&rft.date=1990&rft.isbn=978-0607716269&rft.aulast=Wallace&rft.aufirst=R.+E.&rft_id=https://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/1990/1515/&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:1957+San+Francisco+earthquake" class="Z3988">
6. ^ Steinbrugge, K. V.; Bush, V. R.; Zacher, E. G. (1959), "Damage to Buildings and Other Structures During the San Francisco Earthquake of March 22, 1957", San Francisco earthquakes of March 1957, Special Report 57, California Division of Mines, pp. 75, 76

## External links

[edit]

* M 5.7 – offshore Northern California – United States Geological Survey
* The Daly City Earthquake of 1957: What Does it Tell Us? – San Francisco Historical Society
* The International Seismological Centre has a bibliography and/or authoritative data for this event.

* v
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* e

Earthquakes in the 1950s

1952|

* Hasankale (5.8, Jan 3) †
* Hokkaido (8.1, March 2) †
* San Juan (6.8, June 11)
* Kern County (7.3, July 21)
* Damxung (7.5, August 18) †
* Severo-Kurilsk (9.0, Nov 5) †‡

1953|

* Torud (6.6, Feb 12) †
* Yenice–Gönen (7.5, March 18) ‡†
* Concepción (7.6, May 6)
* Ionian (6.8, Aug 12) †
* Cyprus (6.5, Sep 10) †
* Suva (6.8, Sept 14)
* Tumbes (7.5, Dec 12)

1954|

* Adelaide (5.6, Mar 1)
* Sofades (7.0, Apr 30) †
* Fairview Peak (7.1, Dec 16)
* Chlef (6.7, Sep 9) ‡†

1956|

* Budapest (5.8, Jan 12)
* Chim (4.8 & 5.1, March 16) †
* 1956 Atarfe–Albolote (5.0, Apr 19)
* Afghanistan (7.3, Jun 10) ‡†
* Amorgos (7.7, July 9) †
* Sagaing (7.1, July 16) †
* Anjar (6.1, July 21) †
* Nicaragua (7.3, Oct 24) †

1957|

* Andreanof Islands (8.6, March 9)
* San Francisco (5.7, March 22)
* Fethiye (6.2, April 24 - 7.1 April 25)
* Abant (7.1, May 26) †
* Alborz (7.1, July 2) †‡
* Guerrero (7.6, July 28) †
* Mongolia (8.1, December 4)
* Farsinaj (6.5, December 13) †‡

1958|

* Ecuador–Colombia (7.6, Jan 19) †
* Huslia (7.1, Apr 7)
* Lituya Bay (7.8, Jul 9)
* Firuzabad (6.7, Aug 16)†‡

1959|

* Kamchatka (8.0, May 4)
* Hengchun (7.1, Aug 15)
* Coatzacoalcos (6.4, Aug 26)
* Hebgen Lake (7.3–7.5, Aug 17) ‡

† indicates earthquake resulting in at least 30 deaths
‡ indicates the deadliest earthquake of the year

* v
* t
* e

Earthquakes in California

Very Large
(7.0–7.9)|

* 1812 San Juan Capistrano (6.9–7.5)
* 1812 Ventura (7.1–7.5)
* 1838 San Andreas (6.8–7.2)
* 1857 Fort Tejon (7.9)
* 1872 Owens Valley (7.4–7.9)
* 1892 Laguna Salada (7.1–7.2)
* 1906 San Francisco (7.8)
* 1915 Baja California (7.0)
* 1927 Lompoc (7.3)
* 1952 Kern County (7.3)
* 1980 Eureka (7.3)
* 1992 Cape Mendocino (7.2)
* 1992 Landers (7.3)
* 1999 Hector Mine (7.1)
* 2010 Baja California (7.2)
* 2019 Ridgecrest (7.1)
* 2024 Cape Mendocino (7.0)

Large
(6.0–6.9)|

* 1868 Hayward (6.3–6.7)
* 1892 Vacaville–Winters (6.4, 6.2)
* 1898 Mare Island (5.8–6.4)
* 1899 San Jacinto (6.7)
* 1915 Imperial Valley (6.3 & 6.3)
* 1918 San Jacinto (6.7)
* 1925 Santa Barbara (6.8)
* 1932 Eureka (6.4)
* 1933 Long Beach (6.4)
* 1940 El Centro (6.9)
* 1948 Desert Hot Springs (6.4)
* 1954 Eureka (6.5)
* 1968 Borrego Mountain (6.6)
* 1971 San Fernando (6.5–6.7)
* 1979 Imperial Valley (6.4)
* 1983 Coalinga (6.2)
* 1984 Morgan Hill (6.2)
* 1986 North Palm Springs (6.0)
* 1986 Chalfant Valley (6.2)
* 1987 Superstition Hills (6.2, 6.6)
* 1989 Loma Prieta (6.9)
* 1992 Joshua Tree (6.2)
* 1992 Big Bear (6.5)
* 1994 Northridge (6.7)
* 2003 San Simeon (6.6)
* 2010 Eureka (6.5)
* 2014 South Napa (6.0)
* 2019 Ridgecrest (6.4)
* 2022 Ferndale (6.4)

Moderate
(5.0–5.9)|

* 1957 San Francisco (5.7)
* 1969 Santa Rosa (5.6, 5.7)
* 1973 Point Mugu (5.8)
* 1979 Coyote Lake (5.7)
* 1980 Livermore (5.8)
* 1981 Westmorland (5.9)
* 1987 Whittier Narrows (5.9)
* 1990 Upland (5.7)
* 1991 Sierra Madre (5.6)
* 2000 Yountville (5.0)
* 2007 Alum Rock (5.6)
* 2008 Chino Hills (5.4)
* 2014 La Habra (5.1)

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* e

Earthquakes in the United States

Historical|

* 1585 Aleutian Islands
* 1638 New Hampshire
* 1663 Charlevoix
* 1700 Cascadia
* 1755 Cape Ann
* 1783 New Jersey
* 1811–12 New Madrid
* 1812 San Juan Capistrano
* 1812 Santa Barbara
* 1838 San Andreas
* 1857 Fort Tejon
* 1865 Memphis
* 1867 Manhattan, Kansas
* 1868 Hawaii
* 1868 Hayward
* 1870 Charlevoix
* 1871 Lānaʻi
* 1872 Owens Valley
* 1872 North Cascades
* 1882 Fort Collins
* 1886 Charleston
* 1887 Sonora
* 1892 Laguna Salada
* 1892 Vacaville–Winters
* 1895 Charleston
* 1898 Mare Island
* 1899 San Jacinto

20th century|

* 1901 Richfield
* 1906 San Francisco
* 1906 Aleutian Islands
* 1909 Wabash River
* 1914 Reno
* 1915 Imperial Valley
* 1915 Pleasant Valley
* 1916 Irondale
* 1918 San Jacinto
* 1921 Sevier Valley
* 1925 Montana
* 1925 Santa Barbara
* 1927 Lompoc
* 1931 Valentine
* 1932 Eureka
* 1932 Cedar Mountain
* 1933 Long Beach
* 1934 Hansel Valley
* 1935 Helena
* 1936 State Line
* 1940 El Centro
* 1940 New Hampshire
* 1944 Cornwall–Massena
* 1946 Aleutian Islands
* 1947 Wisconsin
* 1948 Desert Hot Springs
* 1949 Olympia
* 1952 Kern County
* 1954 Churchill County
* 1957 Andreanof Islands
* 1957 San Francisco
* 1958 Huslia
* 1958 Lituya Bay
* 1959 Hebgen Lake
* 1962 Cache Valley
* 1964 Alaska
* 1965 Rat Islands
* 1965 Puget Sound
* 1968 Borrego Mountain
* 1968 Illinois
* 1969 Santa Rosa
* 1971 San Fernando
* 1973 Point Mugu
* 1975 Near Islands
* 1975 Morris
* 1975 Hawaii
* 1979 Coyote Lake
* 1979 Imperial Valley
* 1980 Eureka
* 1981 Westmorland
* 1983 Coalinga
* 1983 Borah Peak
* 1983 Kaoiki
* 1984 Morgan Hill
* 1986 North Palm Springs
* 1986 Chalfant Valley
* 1987 Whittier Narrows
* 1987 Imperial Valley
* 1989 Loma Prieta
* 1990 Upland
* 1991 Sierra Madre
* 1992 Joshua Tree
* 1992 Cape Mendocino
* 1992 Landers
* 1992 Big Bear
* 1992 St. George
* 1993 Scotts Mills
* 1993 Klamath Falls
* 1994 Northridge
* 1995 Marathon
* 1998 Pymatuning
* 1999 Hector Mine
* 2000 Yountville

21st century|

* 2001 Nisqually
* 2002 Denali
* 2003 Alabama
* 2003 San Simeon
* 2006 Gulf of Mexico
* 2006 Kiholo Bay
* 2008 Illinois
* 2008 Chino Hills
* 2008 Reno
* 2008 Wells
* 2010 Eureka
* 2010 Baja California
* 2011 Colorado
* 2011 Virginia
* 2011 Oklahoma
* 2013 Port Alexander
* 2014 La Habra
* 2014 Aleutian Islands
* 2014 Southeast Alaska
* 2014 South Napa
* 2016 Oklahoma
* 2018 Alaska
* 2018 Hawaii
* 2018 Anchorage
* 2018 Southern Appalachian
* 2019 Ridgecrest
* 2020 Salt Lake City
* 2020 Central Idaho
* 2020 Monte Cristo Range
* 2020 Sparta
* 2021 Chignik
* 2022 Ferndale
* 2023 Texas
* 2024 New Jersey
* 2024 Cape Mendocino

Swarms|

* 2001 Enola
* 2008 Reno
* 2010–11 Guy–Greenbrier
* 2012 Brawley
* 2009–present Oklahoma
* 2019 Ridgecrest

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