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2010 Baja California earthquake

Coordinates: 32°07′41″N 115°18′11″W / 32.128°N 115.303°W / 32.128; -115.303
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2010 Baja California Earthquake
A large red circle on a terrain colored yellow and green.
2010 Baja California earthquake is located in Mexico
2010 Baja California earthquake
UTC time??
Magnitude7.2 Mw
Depth6.2 miles (10 km)
Epicenter32°07′41″N 115°18′11″W / 32.128°N 115.303°W / 32.128; -115.303
Areas affectedMexico Mexico
United States United States
Max. intensityIX[1]
AftershocksYes
Casualties2 killed, 100 injured in the vicinity of Mexicali.[2]

The 2010 Baja California Earthquake was an earthquake of 7.2 magnitude on the Moment magnitude scale that started 16 miles (26 km) south of Guadalupe Victoria, Baja California, Mexico, at a depth of 6.2 miles (10.0 km).[3] It occurred at 22:40 UTC (1540 local time) on Easter Sunday, April 4, 2010, and it is said to have lasted about a minute.[4] The strongest shaking was felt in Alberto Oviedo Mota at Mercalli intensity scale VIII (Severe). In Mexicali, Calexico and Guadalupe Victoria it rated VII (Very Strong), while in San Luis Río Colorado it measured VI (Strong).[1] At least two people were killed and 100 people were injured.[2]

Geology

The earthquake measured 7.2 on the Moment magnitude scale that started 16 miles (26 km) south of Guadalupe Victoria, Baja California (municipality of Mexicali), Mexico, at a depth of 6.2 miles (10.0 km).[3] It occurred at 22:40 UTC (1540 local time) on Easter Sunday, April 4, 2010, and it is said to have lasted about a minute.[4] The strongest shaking was felt in Alberto Oviedo Mota at Mercalli intensity scale VIII (Severe). In Mexicali, Calexico, and Guadalupe Victoria it rated VII (Very Strong), while in San Luis Río Colorado it measured VI (Strong).[1]

The quake probably occurred on the Laguna Salada Fault, which is about 40 miles (64 km) to 50 miles (80 km) long and straddles the California–Mexico border.[5] That fault-line had not produced a major quake for 100 years.[6]

Laguna Salada fault (outlined in red).
Map of southern California and northern Baja California with earthquakes shortly after the main earthquake (image credit: US Geological Survey)

The Baja California region had received several earthquakes of magnitude 3 to 4 during the days prior to this quake; it was not immediately known if those were foreshocks to this quake.[6]

Three aftershocks with a magnitude of at least 5 have been reported; one at a magnitude of 5.2[7], one at 5.4[8] and one at a magnitude of 5.1,[9] all three within one hour. There have been at least eight aftershocks in total.[10]

By six hours after the earthquake more than 90 aftershocks or triggered earthquakes between magnitude 3.0 and 5.1 were recorded in northern Baja California and southern California.[11] This included a magnitude 3 event 3 miles (4.8 km) off the coast of Malibu, California.[5]

Impact

Mexico

Baja California state capital Mexicali was reported by Comisión Federal de Electricidad CEO Alfredo Elias Ayub as being without electricity.[12] There were at least two fatalities in Mexicali,[2] one of which was caused by a collapsed house.[13][14] At least 100 people were injured in Mexicali and its suburbs.[2] Windows were broken at the Chamber of Commerce in the city.[13] CNN reported that, "Pictures from Mexicali showed the sides ripped off buildings, toppled telephone poles, cracked roads, and supermarket aisles strewn with food that had fallen off shelves."[13] Damage was also reported in a state government building in construction.[15] According to the San Diego Union Tribune, the largest hospital in Mexicali sustained damage and was moving patients to other facilities.[10]

The quake was felt for about 40 seconds in Tijuana, Baja California, located 108 miles (174 km) to the northwest, where it caused buildings to sway and knocked out power in parts of the city. Families celebrating Easter ran out of the homes, with children screaming and crying.[16] A falling tree damaged a city water tank.[10]

United States

A map showing the amount of responses by people to USGS about the quake

United States Geological Survey seismologist Lucy Jones said at least 20 million people in the United States,& Mexico including most of Southern California, felt the quake.[17] Sporadic power outages were reported throughout southern California.[18] Skyscrapers shook in San Diego, California, 110 miles (180 km) northwest of the epicenter.[19] The earthquake broke at least two water mains, one at a Nordstrom department store in Fashion Valley Mall and another at Mission Bay High School.[10] The San Diego International Airport also had a water leak at Gate 33 in Terminal 2, and the terminal was evacuated for about 10 minutes due to fears of a natural gas leak.[10] The Coronado Bridge over San Diego Bay was briefly closed by the California Highway Patrol as a precautionary measure.[17] The Sheraton Hotel and Marina was evacuated when cracks were discovered in the floors.[10]

Electric service was disrupted across most of the Imperial Valley.[20] In Calexico, California, Fire Chief Peter Mercado said that there was structural damage, leaking gas lines and damage to the town's water system, but that no one was hurt.[17] A Calexico Police Lieutenant said, "Downtown is going to remain closed until further notice. I honestly doubt that it will reopen soon. You've got a lot of cracks. You've got a lot of broken glass. It's unsafe for people to go there."[17] The Calexico border crossing on California State Route 7 and a section of Interstate 8 were both closed.[20]

A man in El Centro, California, was injured when he fell during the quake,[10] and another man was injured when a sign fell on him.[20] One city hospital had so many people at it that the Salvation Army sent a truck with water canteens and sandwiches.[10]

Witnesses have said that it was felt in downtown Los Angeles.[3] There were no immediate reports of damage in Los Angeles, but the Los Angeles Fire Department was put on alert. It was reported that some people were stuck in an elevator in Disneyland, Anaheim.[19][21]

3,369 customers in the Yuma, Arizona, area had a "relatively momentary outage" from the quake, said Arizona Public Service Company spokesman Don Wool, "but most were back in service shortly afterward".[22] The quake was also felt in Phoenix, Arizona.[17]

See also

References

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to 2010 Baja California earthquake.
  1. ^ a b c PAGER - M 7.2 - 39.0 mi SSE of Calexico, CA
  2. ^ a b c d "Two killed, 100 injured in Mexican earthquake". CNN. 2010-04-05. Retrieved 2010-04-04.
  3. ^ a b c "Strong 6.9 quake jolts Baja California, Mexico". Yahoo.com. 2010-04-04. Retrieved 2010-04-04.
  4. ^ a b "M7.2 – Baja California, Mexico". United States Geological Survey. 2010-04-04. Retrieved 2010-04-04.
  5. ^ a b "One death reported in Baja quake". Los Angeles Times. 2010-04-04. Retrieved 2010-04-04.
  6. ^ a b Chang, Alicia (2010-04-04). "Big Baja quake came from 'chaotic' fault system". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved 2010-04-04.
  7. ^ "Magnitude 5.2 - BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2010-05-04.
  8. ^ "Magnitude 5.4 - BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2010-05-04.
  9. ^ "Magnitude 5.1 - SONORA, MEXICO". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2010-05-04.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h "7.2-magnitude quake shakes San Diego region". San Diego Union Tribune. 2010-04-04. Retrieved 2010-04-04.
  11. ^ "90+ aftershocks in Mexico-California region after strong quake". Digital Journal. 2010-04-04. Retrieved 2010-04-04.
  12. ^ "Elevan a 7.2 grados Richter temblor en BC". Notimex (in Spanish). El Universal. 2010-04-04. Retrieved 2010-04-04. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  13. ^ a b c "Earthquake shakes Pacific coast". CNN.com. CNN. 2010-04-04. Retrieved 2010-04-04.
  14. ^ "Magnitude 7.2 Quake Hits Baja, Mexico, Shakes L.A. (Update3)". Bloomberg L.P. Bloomberg BusinessWeek. 2010-04-04. Retrieved 2010-04-04. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  15. ^ "Reportan un muerto por sismo de 7.2 en BC". Notimex (in Spanish). El Universal. 2010-04-04. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |acessdate= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  16. ^ "Mexico Earthquake 2010: 7.2 Quake Hits Baja California, Shakes Los Angeles". Associated Press. The Huffington Post. 2010-04-04. Retrieved 2010-04-04.
  17. ^ a b c d e "Magnitude 7.2 Earthquake Reported in Baja California". Fox News. 2010-04-04. Retrieved 2010-04-04.
  18. ^ "7.2 Earthquake Shakes San Diego Region". KPBS Media Group. 2010-04-04. Retrieved 2010-04-04.
  19. ^ a b Vives, Ruben, Shelby Grad (2010-04-04). "6.9 earthquake strikes Baja California; Los Angeles rattled". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times blogspot. Retrieved 2010-04-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  20. ^ a b c "ImperialValleyPressOnline". Imperial Valley Press. 2010-04-04. Retrieved 2010-04-04.
  21. ^ Steinhauer, Jennifer (2010-04-04). "Strong Mexico Quake Shakes Buildings and Nerves in California". The New York Times. NY Times. Retrieved 2010-04-04. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  22. ^ "Baja California Earthquake Felt in Arizona". Associated Press. My FOX Phoenix. 2010-04-04. Retrieved 2010-04-04.
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