1979 Coyote Lake earthquake
 Reno
Santa Rosa
Gilroy
Hollister
San Luis Obispo
 |
|
| Date | August 6, 1979 |
|---|---|
| Origin time | 17:05:24 UTC |
| Magnitude | 5.7 MW |
| Depth | 10 km (6.2 mi) |
| Epicenter | 37°06′N 121°34′W / 37.1°N 121.56°WCoordinates: 37°06′N 121°34′W / 37.1°N 121.56°W |
| Fault | Calaveras Fault |
| Type | Strike-slip |
| Areas affected |
South Bay Northern California United States |
| Total damage | $500,000 |
| Max. intensity | VII (Very strong) |
| Peak acceleration | .42g |
| Casualties | 16 injured |
The 1979 Coyote Lake earthquake occurred at 10:05:24 local time on August 6 with a moment magnitude of 5.7 and a maximum Mercalli Intensity of VII (Very strong). The shock occurred on the Calaveras Fault near Coyote Lake in Santa Clara County, California and resulted in a number of injuries, including some that required hospitalization. Most of the $500,000 in damage that was caused was non-structural, but several businesses were closed for repairs. Data from numerous strong motion instruments was used to determine the type, depth, and extent of slip. A mild aftershock sequence lasted throughout the remainder of the month that was of interest to seismologists, especially with regard to fault creep, and following the event, local governments evaluated their response to the incident.
Several strands of the San Andreas Fault System in the eastern region of the San Francisco Bay Area are the Hayward–Rodgers Creek and Calaveras Faults. The Hayward Fault exhibits fault creep, but it also has potential for large earthquakes, like the 1868 M7 Hayward earthquake that occurred on its southern segment. The northern Calaveras Fault meets the Hayward Fault near the Calaveras Reservoir and can also produce large earthquakes. Except for a ~M6.5 shock that occurred in 1911, the central and southern segments might only produce smaller events and fault creep.
The earthquake originated without foreshocks on the Calaveras Fault near Coyote Lake in Santa Clara County. It was felt up to 120 mi (200 km) away (from Santa Rosa in the north to San Luis Obispo in the south) and made some high-rise buildings sway in Reno, Nevada, but damage was mainly limited to the nearby towns of Gilroy and Hollister. The earlier M7 Hayward earthquake occurred about 31 mi (50 km) to the north and the 1911 shock was located near Mount Hamilton.
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