Historic Earthquakes

San Francisco area, California
1838 June
Magnitude 6.8

This earthquake was associated with a probable rupture on the San Andreas fault, from near Santa Clara to San Francisco (about 60 kilometers). It is suggested that the fault rupture may have extended throughout all or most of the line that was active in the 1906 earthquake. Walls were cracked at Mission Dolores (San Francisco), and some adobe walls were cracked and glassware and crockery were broken at Monterey.

Abridged from Seismicity of the United States, 1568-1989 (Revised), by Carl W. Stover and Jerry L. Coffman, U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1527, United States Government Printing Office, Washington: 1993.