Hector Mine
Encyclopedia
The 1999 Hector Mine earthquake was a magnitude 7.1 earthquake
that occurred on October 16, 1999 at 2:46:44 PDT
47 Miles ESE of Barstow
, California
. The earthquake occurred in a remote part of the Mojave Desert
, inside the Twentynine Palms Marine Corps Base
. Its name comes from a nearby quarry named Hector Mine, which is located 22 kilometres (14 mi) northwest of the epicenter.
The earthquake was felt throughout Southern California
, as well as in Las Vegas, Nevada
. Many people were awakened in Las Vegas, with many reporting dizziness or trouble walking. Reports were filed as far north as Carson City, Nevada
, where one woman reported waking up, hearing chimes in her house ringing.
Almost no damage was reported in the immediate area of the earthquake due to the remote location of the epicenter in the Mojave Desert, with no settlements for 14 miles, however Amtrak
's westbound Southwest Chief
(train #3) was an unusual victim of the earthquake. The train was traveling very near the epicenter when the quake struck. The combined force of the quake and train caused several rails to come loose and the train derailed. Only minor injuries were reported, and the trainset suffered repairable damage.
It is thought that the earthquake may have been triggered by the 1992 Landers earthquake
some seven years previous, since the recurrence interval of large earthquakes in the Eastern California Shear Zone is considered to be in the order of thousands of years. The sequence of 12 foreshock
s of up to magnitude 3.8 that began 20 hours before the Hector Mine event occurred in the same location as a cluster of off-fault aftershocks of the Landers quake.
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
that occurred on October 16, 1999 at 2:46:44 PDT
Pacific Time Zone
The Pacific Time Zone observes standard time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time . The clock time in this zone is based on the mean solar time of the 120th meridian west of the Greenwich Observatory. During daylight saving time, its time offset is UTC-7.In the United States...
47 Miles ESE of Barstow
Barstow, California
Barstow is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 22,639 at the 2010 census, up from 21,119 at the 2000 census. Barstow is located north of San Bernardino....
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The earthquake occurred in a remote part of the Mojave Desert
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
, inside the Twentynine Palms Marine Corps Base
Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms
The Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center , also known as 29 Palms, is a United States Marine Corps base. It was a census-designated place officially known as Twentynine Palms Base located adjacent to the city of Twentynine Palms in southern San Bernardino County, California. As of the 2000...
. Its name comes from a nearby quarry named Hector Mine, which is located 22 kilometres (14 mi) northwest of the epicenter.
The earthquake was felt throughout Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
, as well as in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. Many people were awakened in Las Vegas, with many reporting dizziness or trouble walking. Reports were filed as far north as Carson City, Nevada
Carson City, Nevada
The Consolidated Municipality of Carson City is the capital of the state of Nevada. The words Consolidated Municipality refer to a series of changes in 1969 which abolished Ormsby County and merged all the settlements contained within its borders into Carson City. Since that time Carson City has...
, where one woman reported waking up, hearing chimes in her house ringing.
Almost no damage was reported in the immediate area of the earthquake due to the remote location of the epicenter in the Mojave Desert, with no settlements for 14 miles, however Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
's westbound Southwest Chief
Southwest Chief
The Southwest Chief is a passenger train operated by Amtrak on a 2256-mile BNSF route through the Midwestern and Southwestern United States. It runs from Chicago, Illinois, to Los Angeles, California, passing through Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and California...
(train #3) was an unusual victim of the earthquake. The train was traveling very near the epicenter when the quake struck. The combined force of the quake and train caused several rails to come loose and the train derailed. Only minor injuries were reported, and the trainset suffered repairable damage.
It is thought that the earthquake may have been triggered by the 1992 Landers earthquake
1992 Landers earthquake
The 1992 Landers earthquake was a magnitude 7.3 earthquake that occurred on June 28, 1992 with an epicenter near the town of Landers, California...
some seven years previous, since the recurrence interval of large earthquakes in the Eastern California Shear Zone is considered to be in the order of thousands of years. The sequence of 12 foreshock
Foreshock
A foreshock is an earthquake that occurs before a larger seismic event and is related to it in both time and space. The designation of an earthquake as foreshock, mainshock or aftershock is only possible after the event....
s of up to magnitude 3.8 that began 20 hours before the Hector Mine event occurred in the same location as a cluster of off-fault aftershocks of the Landers quake.
External links
- Hector Mine Earthquake at the Southern California Earthquake Data Center
- Magnitude 7.1 - SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA United States Geological SurveyUnited States Geological SurveyThe United States Geological Survey is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it. The organization has four major science disciplines, concerning biology,...