Yesterday, a client asked me if earthquakes were an issue in Scottsdale, and I told him I’d not heard of any, but suggested that further research was needed. And then coincidentally, I’m sitting at my desk this morning, taking an on-line class on disclosures to meet my real estate license requirements and reading about water, flooding, fissures, and earthquakes!
What I did discover is that Arizona does have a history of earthquakes.
As I dug a little deeper, I discovered reviewed the maps and read the article, Earthquake Hazard in Arizona. Faults do exist all over the state, but most most Arizona earthquakes have occurred in the Flagstaff area, or to the west of Yuma (in California).
The Arizona Geological Survey web site gives more detail:
Arizona Earthquakes. Large earthquakes in Arizona are rare, but not unheard of. See the attached map for the distribution of large historical earthquakes in Arizona. The Colorado Plateau of northern Arizona is particularly prone to moderate-sized earthquakes. Dave Brumbaugh of Northern Arizona University maintains a network of seismometers (a device to sense and record the ground acceleration associated with earthquakes) to monitor activity there.
Yuma, Arizona, situated in the southwestern-most corner of Arizona, is at high-risk from powerful earthquakes from the nearby San Andreas Fault and its splay faults, the Imperial and Algodones faults. In 1979, rupture along the Imperial fault produced a powerful, magnitude 6.4 event, sending surface waves (Love and Rayleigh waves) racing towards Yuma, 70 miles to the east. Observers in Yuma reported the ground rising and falling before them, in a manner similar to water wave behavior in oceans and lakes.
So, yes Arizona does have earthquakes, but when you check out the Summary of Earthquakes Causing Damage in Arizona you will see that to date, the Phoenix metropolitan area, including Scottsdale, has been exempt.
Related web sites:
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I foresee this post ranking #1 in Google for “Earthquakes in Arizona.”
John Wake´s last blog ..Arizona real estate investors – Watch out for the banks
Twitter: drubloomfield
10.25.09 at 2:34 pm
Well, you know it’s already there for “Scottsdale Earthquakes”
Never would have thought to research it, if I hadn’t been asked the question!
Dru Bloomfield´s last blog ..Insight into the Hot Phoenix Real Estate Market
Twitter: buytucsonlots
10.25.09 at 6:09 pm
I get asked that question a lot. I always tell people about the tour I took of Palo Verde Nuclear Power Plant on the West side of town before it was finished. They said they had to do seismic studies that went further back than I can remember (millions of years) that showed no earth movement activity. That is good considering what they have inside the concrete walls there. I hope we never have a quake.
PS. Earth movement is not covered on your home policy.
Paul´s last blog ..Are Arizona Car Insurance Rates Criminal?
Twitter: drubloomfield
10.25.09 at 6:47 pm
Paul, That’s really interesting that you get the question a lot. Is there a rider available for earth movement?
Dru Bloomfield´s last blog ..Earthquakes in Arizona
Yes, you can get a rider that’s a very simple endorsement on a typical AZ home policy. It’s generally a few hundred dollars depending on the dwelling rebuild cost of the home.
I don’t know why the name and twitter filled with Paul & buytucsonlots. I tried contacting you to notify after submitting those weren’t correct but you don’t have a contact form on the site and I didn’t want to submit another comment. My name is Matt, as this comment shows and it says on my website too. Odd.
Matt´s last blog ..Are Arizona Car Insurance Rates Criminal?