Map of earthquake epicenters in North Carolina and portions of adjacent states (1698-2006)

О 125 25 50 75 100 Geologic Note 7: Map of Earthquake Epicenters in North Carolina and Portions of Adjacent States (1 698 - 2006) Updated and Modified by Randy Bechtel, Michael Medina, and Kathryn Snider, 2006 Original by A. Axon and R. Wooten, 1 998 For more information contact : North Carolina Geological Survey www.geology.enr.state.nc.us 91 9-733-2423 This map shows earthquakes that have been recorded in North Carolina and adjacent states between 1698 and October 2006. The earthquakes are represented by circles, with bigger circles representing larger earthquakes. The effects of an earthquake cover a much larger area than the location of the dot or epicenter. As you can see, many of the earthquakes that have occurred in North Carolina are relatively small. Large damaging events are rare in our state. Earthquakes have also occurred in the states surrounding North Carolina. The elongated group of circles stretching from Tennessee through the edge of western North Carolina into northern Georgia is known as the Eastern Tennessee seismic (earthquake) zone (ETSZ). Scientists are studying this area to determine why so many earthquakes happen here. In 1 886, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake occurred in Charleston, SC, in the Charleston seismic zone (CSZ). On December 9, 2003, a 4.5 magnitude earthquake occurred near Richmond, Virginia in the Central Virginia seismic zone (CVSZ). This earthquake was felt in parts of north-central North Carolina and as far south as Raleigh, NC. There is a similar seismic zone in western Virginia called the Giles County seismic zone (GCSZ). It is very important to realize that even though North Carolina and the east coast of the United States experience occasional earthquakes, this area is not a seismically active area like California and the west coast. In California, there are many faults where large, damaging earthquakes occur frequently. In contrast, there are no active fault zones in North Carolina. Earthquakes are more frequent in the western part of our state, but statewide they are relatively small, random and scattered events. Data source for 1 698 - 1 992 earthquakes from Virginia Polytechnical and State University - http://www.geol.vt.edu/outreach/vtso/ Data source for 1993 - 2006 earthquakes from U.S. Geological Survey - http://earthquake.usgs.gov/