Historic Earthquakes
Lompoc, California
1927 11 04 13:51 UTC
Magnitude 7.1
The most severe
damage to property occurred in the areas west and
north of Lompoc. Chimneys were wrecked at several
towns, including Arroyo Grande, Berros, Guadalupe,
Halcyon, Lompoc, Los Alamos, and Nipomo. On the
Roberd's ranch, an earthquake fountain created
between 10 and 20 sand craters; lurches and cracks
were observed in the water-soaked soil. The Roberd
ranch house was shifted on its foundation about 5 centimeters,
and small outbuildings were pushed from their
foundations. The walls of a poorly built block building
collapsed at White Hills. At Santa Maria and
other towns in the area, chimneys were damaged, old
brick walls and interior walls formed cracks, and
cornices fell.
Near Surf, west of Lompoc, the Southern Pacific Railroad bridge was thrown out of alignment near its center; a concrete highway was cracked; and small rockslides and earthslides occurred. Cracks formed in the ground about 6.5 kilometers north of Arlight. Felt from Morgon Hill south to Redondo Beach and from the coast east to Kernville. A tsunami was recorded on tide gages at San Francisco, La Jolla, San Diego, and Fort Point, and waves were observed at Pismo, Port San Luis (1.5 meters), and Surf (1.8 meters). Many aftershocks occurred.
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.
