Paper Example on 1906 San Francisco Earthquake

Introduction

Earthquakes have been rated as some of the natural occurrences, which have the capability of shaking tectonic plates bringing adverse impacts on people. In most occurrences, earthquakes take place due to the tectonic movements in the crust of the earth. Colliding of tectonic plates or riding over each other makes them cause orogeny and earthquakes. When an earthquake takes places in a distinct region, there is usually the destruction of property, loss of lives, and to some point, occurrence of Tsunamis. In this case, there will be a focus on the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, whereby there will be more scrutiny of geological aspects and effects on people. From the drawings made by Dyl (2017), the 1906 San Francisco earthquake in California is one of the utmost definable earthquakes in the history of time. As Dyl (2017) states, this earthquake resulted into rupturing of the San Andreas fault, to the northern and southern region of the city, summing to a total of 296 miles. People to the south of Oregon to Los Angeles could feel this earthquake and even inland region to central Nevada. Dyl (2017) has further indicated that the shocks of the earthquake were strong, and they lasted for a period of forty-five to sixty seconds.

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Describing the plate tectonic setting related to the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, Duey & Bale (2014) have indicated that the Californian coast has a tectonic plate underlying the Pacific Ocean, and the plate harbors the North American landmass meeting at the San Andreas fault. Duey & Bale (2014) have further indicated that there is the creation of massive pressure created, as these plates drudge contrary to each other, whereby the Pacific plate moves to the northwestern side comparative to the Northern American plate. As a result of this, there was a release of the pent-up pressure, resulting in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake that shook the Californian coast. As Winchester (2013) admits, this earthquake made rapturing of the earth by 477 kilometers, along with the San Andreas Fault northernmost region. From a study done by Winchester (2013), a 20-feet offset was observable at the surface close to Point Reyes.

Winchester (2013) has further admitted that there likely a 24 feet of slip at the depth part close to Point Reyes. On the northern side of the Shelter Cove, there was probably 28 feet of slip forming the end of the rupture. To the southern region, the rupture was notable at 100 miles, a slip that was slightly less, averaging 8-12 feet (Winchester, 2013). The earthquake hit with approximately a moment magnitude of 7.9, and a maximum XI Mercalli intensity (Winchester, 2013). Furthermore, a report done by Gist (2016) has indicated that regions located in sediment-composed valleys had sustained much stronger shaking compared to those close bedrock sites. Gist (2016) has further indicated that the strongest of shaking took place in regions of what was formerly a bay, a region where liquefaction of soil had taken place. As Gist (2016) reports, the shaking intensity as noted in the Modified Mercalli intensity scale had shot up to XI in San Francisco and regions to the north like Santa Rosa, where there was massive destruction.

On the other hand, the earthquake affected people who lived on and around the region of occurrence. From a study done by Aitken (2015), it has indicated that more than three thousand people lost their lives. On the 3,000 deaths, Aitken (2015) has indicated that the earthquake contributed towards such a number either directly or indirectly. In addition to this, Aitken (2015) has stated that approximately 225,000 people from an entire population of roughly 400,000 people lost their homes. Those who survived this deadly occurrence did camp at Golden Gate Park, and dunes located in the west of the city, with some of them fleeing to outlying towns.

In addition, Kroll-Smith (2018) has claimed that the conflagration that followed the earthquake resulted into more substantially than the earthquake did, with more than 80% of them being burned. The fire cleared the business area close to the Montgomery Street and the South of Market district towards Russian Hill, North Beach, Chinatown, and Telegraph Hill (Dyl, 2017). For the four days that the fire kept burning, there were more than 500 blocks in the center of the city covering more than ten square kilometers, which were leveled (Winchester, 2013). Winchester (2013) has further added that the inferno lead to the destruction of more than approximately 28,000 buildings, with a total value property standing at an estimate of $350 million. In the study done by Kroll-Smith (2018), indicated that this occurrence swallowed the whole of San Francisco, its industrial section, factories and warehouses, hotels and palaces of the nabobs, social and residential regions, and the great stores and newspaper constructions.

After being hit by this deadly earthquake and fire, the option running in the minds of many people back at the time was beginning the reconstruction process. Aitken (2015) has admitted that the occurrence of this disaster did not lead to outstanding building codes, considering that the 1933 earthquake flattened some learning institutions in the Long Beach, Calif. Though much has been done, a significant portion of San Francisco is still at risk. There is much building, which has been brought up since, but much of them lack fire resistance wall between them, as stated by Kroll-Smith (2018). Kroll-Smith (2018) has indicated that if an earthquake at the magnitude of 7.3 hit the region along San Andreas Fault close to San Francisco, more than 60,000 homes would be damaged, and leave almost a quarter a million of the population homeless.

Conclusion

In conclusion, many scholars and researchers have termed the occurrence of this earthquake to be the greatest deadly urban disasters that has ever occurred in American. It left features, pains, and long-term impacts that will be felt, seen, and told to many generations to come. Though the occurrence of this disaster might have been dangerous, geologist, seismologists, and the other scientists have conducted their studies, and have brought along paramount knowledge on how earthquakes tend to behave and influence the overlying geology. Following the occurrence of this disaster, a lot of research and development of warning systems have been designed, that can aid in warning people before the occurrence of an earthquake. This is important as it can help governments and people to undertake the necessary precautionary measures such as reallocation and moving to safer grounds. In this case, therefore, there has been a focus on the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, whereby there has been more scrutiny on geological aspects and effects on people.

References

Aitken, F. W. (2015). A History of the Earthquake and Fire in San Francisco: An Account of the Disaster of April 18, 1906 and Its Immediate Results (Classic Reprint). Fb&c Limited.

Duey, K., & Bale, K. A. (2014). Earthquake: San Francisco, 1906. Simon and Schuster.

Dyl, J. L. (2017). Seismic City: An Environmental History of San Francisco's 1906 Earthquake. University of Washington Press.

Gist, D. L. (2016). When San Francisco Burned: A Photographic Memoir of the Great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of 1906. Craven Street Books.

Kroll-Smith, S. (2018). Recovering Inequality: Hurricane Katrina, the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906, and the Aftermath of Disaster. University of Texas Press.

Winchester, S. (2013). A Crack in the Edge of the World: America and the Great California Earthquake of 1906. HarperCollins.