October 21, 1868 Hayward Fault Earthquake
Because of its location in the heart of the Bay Area, then having a total
population of about 260,000, and its magnitude, variously estimated as
between 6.8 and 7.0, this earthquake was one of the most destructive in
California history. Property loss was extensive and 30 people were killed.
Read more »
- USGS scientists describe the Hayward fault as a tectonic time bomb, due
anytime for another magnitude 6.8 to 7.0 earthquake. Because such a quake
could cause hundreds of deaths, leave thousands homeless, and devastate
the region’s economy, the USGS and other organizations are working
together with new urgency to help prepare Bay Area communities for this
certain future quake.
New Science and Products
- Interactive self-guided tour of San Francisco Bay Area faults and
earthquake history featuring ground-shaking maps, historic photographs,
quotes from earthquake survivors, and more.
- Computer simulations of large, anticipated earthquakes on the Hayward
and Rodgers Creek faults.
- Map showing active fault traces within the Hayward Fault Zone, including
a virtual tour of the Hayward fault in the east San Francisco Bay Region
that can be viewed in Google Earth™
- Modified Mercalli Intensity maps for the Hayward earthquake plotted in
ShakeMap format.
- Modified Mercalli Intensity maps for the Hayward earthquake plotted in
ShakeMap format.
- Geophysical data along the Hayward Fault are used to investigate the
nature, spatial relationship, and evolution of the Hayward Fault Zone.
- A recent paper on the Hayward Fault Model by Russell Graymer and others.
Correlation of rock units with variations in seismicity, creep rate, and
fault dip (15 MB pdf)
Field Guides
- Self-guided field trips to one of North America’s most dangerous
earthquake faults, the Hayward Fault. Locations were chosen because of
their easy access using mass transit and/or their significance relating to
the natural and cultural history of the East Bay landscape.
- A detailed geologic and architectural field guide to 11 stops along the
Hayward Fault, including UC Berkeley Campus and Memorial Stadium, Point
Pinole, Cragmont School in Berkeley, Oakland City Hall, and old City Hall
in Hayward and it includes discussion of the 1868 earthquake. This guide
was published by the Geological Society of America in 2006 as part of the
1906 San Francisco Earthquake Centennial Meeting.
- Download a 2001 U.S. Geological Survey Field Guide to the Hayward Fault
in Downtown Hayward and at the Caldecott Tunnel (between Orinida and
Oakland) and to the 1998 Fremont Peak landslide.
- Explore the Hayward Fault in Hayward using this online field guide
prepared for the 2000 U.S. Geological Survey Open House.
See Also
- This 1996 report by the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute
describes what losses are expected to result from magnitude 7 earthquake
on the northern end of the Hayward Fault.
- The Seismological Society of America (SSA) created a virtual special
issue of BSSA containing previously published BSSA articles focusing on
the Hayward earthquake and associated research.
- This web site was created to help coordinate and promote efforts and
activities between organizations throughout the greater San Francisco Bay
Area planning to commemorate the earthquake.
- Interseismic surface deformation along the Hayward Fault monitored with
Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) and the Global
Positioning System (GPS).
- More information about the earthquake, including location parameters,
maps, photos, and seismograms.
- More information about the Hayward fault subsystem and other Bay Area faults.
The Hayward Fault—Is It Due for a Repeat of the Powerful 1868
Earthquake?
Virtual Tour of the 1868 Hayward Earthquake in Google Earth™
Hayward Fault Scenario Earthquake Animations
Active Traces of the Hayward Fault
Three-Dimensional Geologic Map of the Hayward Fault Zone
Intensity Maps for the 1868 Hayward Earthquake
Geometry and Evolution of the Hayward Fault
Three-dimensional Geologic Map of the Hayward Fault
Where’s the Hayward Fault? A Green Guide to the Fault
2006 Field Guide to the Hayward Fault (13 MB pdf)
Field Guide to the Hayward Fault (29 MB pdf)
Field Guide to the Hayward Fault, Downtown Hayward
Hayward Fault Earthquake Loss Scenario
1868 Hayward Earthquake Alliance
The Accumulation of Interseismic Strain Along the Hayward Fault
