2011 Virginia earthquake facts for kids
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| UTC time | 2011-08-23 17:51:04 |
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| ISC event | 17331323 |
| USGS-ANSS | ComCat |
| Local date | August 23, 2011 |
| Local time | 1:51:04 pm EDT |
| Magnitude | 5.8 Mw |
| Depth | 6 km (4 mi) |
| Epicenter | 37°56′10″N 77°55′59″W / 37.936°N 77.933°W |
| Type | Dip-slip (reverse) |
| Areas affected | Canada, United States |
| Max. intensity | VII (Very strong) |
| Peak acceleration | 0.26g |
The 2011 Virginia earthquake was a powerful earthquake that happened in the U.S. state of Virginia. It occurred on August 23, 2011, at 1:51 PM EDT. The earthquake had a magnitude of 5.8. Its center, called the focus, was about 60 kilometers (37 miles) northwest of Richmond. It was also about 8 kilometers (5 miles) from the town of Mineral, Virginia.
This earthquake happened along the Spotsylvania Fault. This is an old fault line located in the middle of the North American plate. After the main earthquake, there were several smaller quakes called aftershocks. Four aftershocks happened within 12 hours. Their magnitudes were 2.8, 2.2, 4.2, and 3.4. About 35 hours later, a sixth aftershock of magnitude 4.5 occurred. By August 30, there had been 19 aftershocks in total.
Strong earthquakes are rare east of the Rockies in the U.S. This 5.8 magnitude quake was only the second of its size in 114 years. The other one was in 1944 near the New York-Ontario border.
Contents
How Far the Earthquake Was Felt
The 2011 Virginia earthquake was felt across a very large area. People reported feeling the shaking far away from its center. To the south, it reached Atlanta, Georgia. To the north, it was felt in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.
To the west, the earthquake reached Illinois. To the east, it was felt in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. Some damage was even reported as far away as Burlington, New Jersey.
Impact in the United States
Many buildings in the eastern United States are not built to withstand strong earthquakes. This is because large earthquakes are uncommon in that region.
Washington, D.C. Area Effects
In Washington, D.C., important buildings like the White House and the Capitol building were evacuated. In Arlington County, Virginia, a pipe broke inside the Pentagon. This caused water to flood two hallways. The Pentagon used an emergency plan, which was created after the September 11 attacks, to safely evacuate everyone.
Other buildings were also evacuated in major cities like Philadelphia, Boston, and New York City.
Travel and Communication Issues
Soon after the earthquake, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told airplanes to stop flying along the East Coast. The Air Traffic Control tower at John F. Kennedy International Airport was evacuated. This caused flights to be delayed at several airports. These included John F. Kennedy International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Dulles International Airport, and Philadelphia International Airport. At Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, ceiling tiles fell, and flights stopped completely.
Washington Metro trains were delayed and had to run at slower speeds. They went only 15 miles per hour so engineers could check the tracks for damage. Right after the earthquake, many people tried to make cell phone calls at the same time. This overloaded the AT&T and Verizon Wireless networks. People could not make calls for at least 20 minutes.
Damage to Famous Landmarks
Buildings in the Washington, D.C. area had some damage, but it was not severe. The quake damaged three of the four corner spires, called pinnacles, on the Washington National Cathedral. It also cracked some of the church's flying buttresses. However, the buttresses supporting the main tower, which is a famous part of the city's skyline, looked fine.
The National Park Service found cracks near the top of the Washington Monument. Because of this, the monument was closed for a long time for repairs. The earthquake also knocked off four of the six spires on top of the Washington D.C. Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Pieces of these spires and some marble from the temple's outer wall fell to the ground.
The two nuclear reactors at the North Anna Nuclear Generating Station automatically shut down. This power station was only about 11 miles (18 km) from where the earthquake started.
Northeastern United States Impact
Damage in the northeastern United States was mostly minor. In New York state, Governor Andrew Cuomo said there were no reports of major damage to buildings or roads. There were some disruptions, like building evacuations and airport delays. Amtrak trains arriving at and leaving Penn Station in New York City were also delayed.
In New Jersey, the state Emergency Management office reported two gas leaks in Gloucester County. Luckily, no one was hurt. Some buildings, like the Temple B'nai Israel in Burlington and a home in Camden, were damaged. Government buildings were evacuated, and city workers were sent home early.
In Boston, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency reported no injuries or damage. The U.S. District Court in South Boston was evacuated. The University of Massachusetts Boston ended summer classes early and sent all workers home.
In West Virginia, several buildings in downtown Charleston were evacuated. These included the Kanawha County Courthouse and the West Virginia State Capitol campus. Dispatchers received over 350 calls in 45 minutes. However, there was no major damage to buildings or roads, only small cracks in plaster at the old courthouse. Part of a chimney fell at the county courthouse in Philippi. The West Virginia Office of Miners' Health Safety and Training confirmed that coal mines were safe after the tremors.
In Delaware, the New Castle County Courthouse in Wilmington and Family Court in Georgetown were evacuated. Reports said that blocks fell from the steeple of St. Thomas the Apostle Church. DelDOT crews checked many bridges and roadways across the state for damage.
In Pennsylvania, people were told to leave office buildings in Philadelphia. People also evacuated the Bucks County Courthouse in Doylestown. SEPTA Regional Rail trains had to slow down to 25 mph (40 km/h) while tracks were checked. PATCO Speedline trains also stopped briefly, but there was no damage. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation checked bridges for damage. Bridges over the Delaware River owned by the Delaware River Port Authority were not damaged.
Impact in Canada
People in eastern Canada also felt the earthquake. This was mostly in Southern Ontario, parts of Quebec, and the Maritimes. A few buildings in Toronto were evacuated. No accidents or damage from the earthquake were reported in Canada.
Related pages
- Virginia Seismic Zone
- List of earthquakes in the United States
Images for kids
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Cross-sectional illustration of normal and reverse dip-slip faults.
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Generalized geologic map of the central Virginia Piedmont with faults and earthquakes (M>2, 1973–2011).
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This map shows that East Coast earthquakes travel much farther than West Coast earthquakes of similar magnitude.
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The Washington Monument was closed for almost three years to repair damage from the tremors.
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Stabilization work at the Washington National Cathedral due to damage caused by the earthquake
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Damage to the Embassy of Ecuador
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People gather outside 40 Wall Street in New York City after the earthquake
See also
In Spanish: Terremoto de Virginia de 2011 para niños
