1906 San Francisco earthquake

E588

The 1906 San Francisco earthquake was a devastating magnitude 7.8 seismic event that struck Northern California, causing widespread destruction and fires that nearly leveled San Francisco and became one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history.

Aliases (2)
  • Great 1906 San Francisco earthquake ×1
  • Great San Francisco earthquake ×1

Statements (50)
Predicate Object
instanceOf earthquake
historical event
natural disaster
affectedArea San Francisco Bay Area
coastal Northern California
alsoKnownAs Great 1906 San Francisco earthquake
Great San Francisco earthquake
casualtiesEstimate over 3000 deaths
caused building collapses
fires in San Francisco
ground rupture
landslides
liquefaction
widespread destruction in Northern California
continent North America
country United States
date 1906-04-18
destroyedBuildingsEstimate over 28000 buildings
displacedPeopleEstimate over 200000 homeless
duration approximately 45 to 60 seconds
economicDamage hundreds of millions of 1906 US dollars
epicenter near San Francisco, California
fault San Andreas Fault
fireDuration several days
governmentResponse federal military assistance to San Francisco
historicalSignificance turning point in the development of modern seismology
inspiredTheory elastic rebound theory
intensityScale Modified Mercalli intensity scale
ledTo advances in seismology
changes in building codes
major reconstruction of San Francisco
location California
Northern California
San Francisco
magnitude 7.8
magnitudeScale moment magnitude scale
mainCityDestroyed San Francisco
maximumIntensity XI
plateBoundary boundary between Pacific Plate and North American Plate
rankedAs one of the most significant earthquakes of all time
one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history
recordedBy United States Geological Survey
ruptureLength approximately 296 miles
approximately 477 kilometers
studiedBy seismologist Harry Fielding Reid
tectonicSetting transform plate boundary
time 05:12 local time
triggered urban fires in San Francisco
type strike-slip earthquake
year 1906

Referenced by (12)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
1906 San Francisco earthquake ("Great San Francisco earthquake")
1906 San Francisco earthquake ("Great 1906 San Francisco earthquake")
alsoKnownAs
Chinatown (San Francisco)
Nob Hill
rebuiltAfter
Harry Fielding Reid
appliedElasticReboundTheoryTo
Panama–Pacific International Exposition
cityRebuiltAfter
Conservatory of Flowers
damagedBy
San Francisco
historicEvent
San Andreas Fault
notableEarthquake
Chinatown (San Francisco)
significantEvent
Harry Fielding Reid
studied
Painted Ladies (San Francisco)
survivedEvent

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