From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1984 Morgan Hill Earthquake

Date	24 April 1984 (1984-04-24)
Magnitude	6.2 Mw
Depth	8 kilometres (5.0 mi)
Epicenter location	37°19′N 121°42′W / 37.32°N 121.70°W / 37.32; -121.70Coordinates: 37°19′N 121°42′W / 37.32°N 121.70°W / 37.32; -121.70
Countries/ regions affected	United States (Northern California)
Casualties	27 injured

The 1984 Morgan Hill Earthquake (also Halls Valley Earthquake)^[1] was a magnitude 6.2 earthquake that occurred on 24 April 1984 at 1:15 PM local time, in the south San Francisco Bay Area, California. The epicenter of the quake was located near Mount Hamilton in the Diablo Range of the California Coast Ranges, although nearby communities, including Morgan Hill, sustained serious damage. Damages from the earthquake totaled $7 million USD, not taking into account damages to high-tech industrial facilities.^[2]

The earthquake occurred along the Calaveras Fault, with the epicenter 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) northeast of San Jose, and at a depth of 8 kilometres (5.0 mi). The outline of aftershocks show that the rupture propagated southeast over a 25 kilometres (16 mi) section of the fault, as far as San Martin. ^[2]

Damage

The earthquake was reported to be felt over an area of 120,000 square kilometres (46,000 sq mi) and caused over $7 million in damages. Morgan Hill was the worst affected, with a number of mobile homes sliding off foundations, and moderate damage to several masonry buildings in the city. The communities of San Jose, San Martin and Coyote were some areas that received minor damage from the earthquake.^[1] In Santa Clara County, over 550 buildings were reported to have received at least minor damage.^[3]

See also

• Earthquakes in California
• List of earthquakes in the United States

References