1901 Richfield earthquake

Earthquake in Utah May 2025 September 2020 1901 Richfield earthquake USA Utah y 1901-11-14 04:39:00 ushis396 yes 1901 11 13 09:39 p.m. MST 7.0 w yes 10.0 km mi on 38.77 -112.08 Utah IX multiple >35 none The 1901 Richfield earthquake was a magnitude w 7.0 yes earthquake that occurred on 13 November 1901 at approximately 9:39 PM MST at Richfield, Utah, United States. If estimations are accurate, it is the largest earthquake ever recorded in Utah. Earthquake The earthquake struck at approximately 9:39 PM MST approximately 1.2 mi km south of Richfield, Utah, United States. Reports of the length of the quake varied from about one minute to three minutes. There were three waves—increasing in power—to the initial quake, and "roaring" or "low rumbling" sounds accompanying the shock waves were reported in Fillmore, Cedar City, and Salt Lake City. The time of the quake is officially recorded by the Intermountain Seismic Belt Historical Earthquake Project (ISBHEP) as 9:39 PM MST. The USGS report gives an official time as 9:32 PM MST. News reports from the time give times ranging from 9:30 PM MST to 10:45 PM MST. Magnitude and intensity The quake was recorded by the ISBHEP as a w 6.5 yes and an intensity of IX (Violent). The official USGS report in their historical earthquakes list stated no magnitude and an intensity of VIII (Severe). An official report published in 1988 assigned a magnitude of w 7 no and an intensity of IX (Violent). The quake was felt in an area of 50000 sqmi sqkm, including Cedar City (intensity VI), Oasis, and Fillmore. Salt Lake City (with intensity of IV) is considered an "outlying point well outside the boundary of the main felt area." Destruction Damage to chimneys, walls, roofs, windows was reported in Richfield, Beaver, Monroe, Joseph, Elsinore, and Marysvale, with minor damage reported in Parowan, Milford, Cedar City, St. George, and Kanab. Surface ruptures up to 300 ft m in length were reported in Richfield, with water and white sand being ejected from some of the cracks. "Extensive rockslides" were reported between Beaver and Marysvale, especially in the canyons. Damage in Beaver included Beaver Woolen Mills, with an estimated US$4,000 in severe structural damage (approximately US$121,000 in 2020). The roof of the Beaver County courthouse was crushed by chimneys collapsing onto it, and the walls of the building were cracked in over 25 places. Additional reports of lesser damage include a saloon, several merchant buildings, schools and related buildings, and a church building. Merchandise in several stores was also damaged. Minor damage was reported as far away as Salt Lake City, where several landslides were reported in Little Cottonwood, Big Cottonwood, and Bullion Canyon. The landslides almost completely blocked the roads. Surface ruptures and increased river flow were also reported. No people were killed in the quake. See also List of earthquakes in 1901 List of earthquakes in the United States List of earthquakes in Utah References 30em https://www.officialdata.org/us/inflation/1901?amount=4000 $4,000 in 1901 → $121,465.88 today 1 May 2020 Official Data Foundation 1 May 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200501230914/https://www.officialdata.org/us/inflation/1901?amount=4000 live https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/data/batches/uuml_twelve_ver01/data/sn83045555/00175049757/1901111401/1284.pdf Buildings were badly wrecked 14 November 1901 Deseret Evening News 1 1 May 2020 live https://web.archive.org/web/20200821092609/https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/data/batches/uuml_twelve_ver01/data/sn83045555/00175049757/1901111401/1284.pdf 21 August 2020 https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/data/batches/uuml_twelve_ver01/data/sn83045555/00175049757/1901111501/1298.pdf Monroe: Severe Earthquake Shock Unnerves the People - Returned Missionary 15 November 1901 Deseret Evening News 7 1 May 2020 live https://web.archive.org/web/20200821095001/https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/data/batches/uuml_twelve_ver01/data/sn83045555/00175049757/1901111501/1298.pdf 21 August 2020 https://www.ksl.com/article/22468526/5-biggest-earthquakes-ever-to-happen-in-utah 5 biggest earthquakes ever to happen in Utah 9 October 2012 Scott Dunn KSL.com 1 May 2020 18 March 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200318203034/https://www.ksl.com/article/22468526/5-biggest-earthquakes-ever-to-happen-in-utah live https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1988/0404/report.pdf Margaret G. Hopper Large Earthquakes in Sevier County, Utah, in 1901 and 1921 United States Geological Survey 4 April 1988 Open-File Report 88-404 4 May 2020 live https://web.archive.org/web/20170212000853/https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1988/0404/report.pdf 12 February 2017 https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/ushis396/impact M ? - Utah Impact Summary United States Geological Survey 1 May 2020 live https://web.archive.org/web/20200821094414/https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/ushis396/impact 21 August 2020 https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/ushis396/executive M ? - Utah Overview United States Geological Survey 1 May 2020 live https://web.archive.org/web/20200821105635/https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/ushis396/executive 21 August 2020 https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/ushis396/technical M ? - Utah Technical Summary United States Geological Survey 1 May 2020 live https://web.archive.org/web/20200821094631/https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/ushis396/technical 21 August 2020 https://quake.utah.edu/isbhep/1901-southern-utah-m-6%C2%BD-%C2%B1 1901 – Southern Utah – M 6½ ± 11 January 2020 Sheryl Peterson University of Utah 1 May 2020 20 April 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200420233707/https://quake.utah.edu/isbhep/1901-southern-utah-m-6%C2%BD-%C2%B1 live https://quake.utah.edu/wp-content/uploads/1901-Southern-Utah-EQ-Summ.pdf Earthquake Summary University of Utah 1 May 2020 21 April 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200421031137/https://quake.utah.edu/wp-content/uploads/1901-Southern-Utah-EQ-Summ.pdf live For historical earthquake data where there was no instrumental recording of the shock, magnitude is estimated from the size of the felt area (see below). In such cases, the magnitudes are listed as a whole number followed by a ± or a fraction (e.g., 1/2) rather than a decimal (e.g., 0.5). Category:1901 in Utah Category:1901 earthquakes Category:1901 natural disasters in the United States Category:Earthquakes in Utah Richfield earthquake