Today in Earthquake History

Today's Earthquake Fact:
The term seismic seiche was first coined by Anders Kvale in 1955, to describe oscillation of lake levels in Norway and England caused by the Assam earthquake of August, 1950.

Year at a Glance

August

Note: All earthquake dates are UTC, not local time.

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Year	Location	Magnitude	Comment

1959	Hebgen Lake, Montana	7.3	One of the Largest Earthquakes in the United States. The largest historical earthquake in Montana.
This earthquake caused 28 fatalities and about $11 million in damage to highways and timber. The most spectacular and disastrous effect of the earthquake was the huge avalanche of rock, soil and trees that cascaded from the steep south wall of the Madison River Canyon. This slide formed a barrier that blocked the gorge and stopped the flow of the Madison River and, within a few weeks, created a lake almost 53 meters deep. Most of the 28 deaths were caused by rockslides that covered the Rock Creek public campground on the Madison River, about 9.5 kilometers below Hebgen Dam.

1959	Wyoming	6.5	The largest historical earthquake in Wyoming.

1980	Near Coast of Ecuador	5.6	Eight people killed, 100 injured and extensive damage in the Guayaquil area. From Significant Earthquakes of the World, 1980.

1994	Northern Algeria	5.9	At least 159 people were killed, 289 injured, 8,000 to 10,000 left homeless and thousands of houses destroyed in Mascara Province. From Significant Earthquakes of the World 1994.

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