Sources
More Damage
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/states/events/1886_09_01.php
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/earthquake-shakes-charleston-south-carolina
http://www.sfmuseum.org/1906.2/charleston.html
http://www.seis.sc.edu/projects/SCSN/history/html/eqchas.html
http://www.scearthquakes.com/
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/hazards/about/workshops/CEUS-WORKSHP/Tuesday/Talwani-Boston_TALK_5-9-05.pdf
Damage Continued
Damage done to Charleston
Earthquake Bolts
The Charleston Earthquake was preceded by small earthquakes on August 28 and 29, but no one expected a large one. The shaking was felt in Alabama, Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia. In Charleston, only a few buildings were still standing, and the railroad tracks were mostly destroyed.
After the Charleston Earthquake, a piece of equipment was used called an earthquake bolt. It was thought that if you put a long medal pole from one end of the house to other and you had many of these, your house wouldn't get damaged. If it did, then your house would get straight fast.
Tectonic Plates
Why did an Earthquake occur in Charleston?
Charleston lies right in the center of the North American plate, so why would an earthquake occur there? Scientists have done research in the time between the earthquake and now, and they have found a fault line that runs through South Carolina by Charleston. This fault line caused the earthquake.
Throughout the globe, the earth's crust has cracked and split over the years. These cracks have formed tectonic plates. Many earthquakes occur on the edge of 2 plates, because the plates rub together and they bounce back, causing an earthquake.
Fault Line Continued
The fault line that runs through South Carolina is called the Woodstock fault, and there is a north side and a south side. Charleston is semi- close to this fault, but not directly on it, yet the earthquake was huge. The fault line associated with the Charleston quake is estimated to be 50 meters long. As a result of this fault, scientists estimate that Charleston earthquakes occur every 500 years.
Date and Scale
The Great Charleston Earthquake occurred on August 31st, 1886. Measured on the Richter scale, scientists estimate that this earthquake was a 7.3. The earthquake lasted for around or less than one minute.
Damage
Damage Done
The Earthquake lasted for less than one minute, but was still the worst earthquake to occur east of Mississippi. The earthquake killed around 124 people, and injured hundreds more. The estimated cost of all the damage was between 5 and 6 million dollars.
Damage of the earthquake
After Shocks
After the Great Charleston earthquake, there was a record number of aftershocks. They too caused structural damage. After the earthquake, around 43o aftershocks were felt around the east coast, especially in South Carolina.
South Carolina Fault Line
Charleston Earthquake of 1886
The fault line that runs through South Carolina