earthquakes: Significant earthquakes around the world

Description Usage Format Source

Description

dataset obtained from the U.S. National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on significant earthquakes around the world. The dataset contains information about 5,933 earthquakes over an approximately 4,000 year time span.

Usage

1

Format

A data frame with 5962 rows and 47 variables:

I_D

The unique numeric identifier of the record.

FLAG_TSUNAMI

When a tsunami was generated by an earthquake, "Tsu" appears in the Assoc Tsu column. There should also be a "TSU" link in the Assoc column which is linked to the tsunami event database. The TSU link will display additional tsunami event information in a new browser window.

YEAR

Valid values: -2150 to Present. Format +/-yyyy (-is B.C, +is A.D.) The Date and Time are given in Universal Coordinated Time (also known as Greenwich Mean Time). The local date may be one day different.

MONTH

Valid values: 1-12

DAY

Valid values: 1-31 (where months apply)

HOUR

Valid values: 0-23

MINUTE

Valid values: 0-59

SECOND

Valid values: 0-59

FOCAL_DEPTH

Valid values: 0 to 700 km. The depth of the earthquake is given in kilometers.

EQ_PRIMARY

Magnitude: Valid values: 0.0 to 9.9. A measure of seismic energy. The magnitude scale is logarithmic. An increase of one in magnitude represents a tenfold increase in the recorded wave amplitude. However, the energy release associated with an increase of one in magnitude is not tenfold, but about thirtyfold. For example, approximately 900 times more energy is released in an earthquake of magnitude 7 than in an earthquake of magnitude 5. Each increase in magnitude of one unit is equivalent to an increase of seismic energy of about 1.6 x 10,000,000,000,000 ergs.

EQ_MAG_MW

Mw Magnitude: Valid values: 0.0 to 9.9. The Mw magnitude is based on the moment magnitude scale. Moment is a physical quantity proportional to the slip on the fault times the area of the fault surface that slips; it is related to the total energy released in the EQ. The moment can be estimated from seismograms (and also from geodetic measurements). The moment is then converted into a number similar to other earthquake magnitudes by a standard formula. The result is called the moment magnitude. The moment magnitude provides an estimate of earthquake size that is valid over the complete range of magnitudes, a characteristic that was lacking in other magnitude scales. The magnitude is a measure of seismic energy. The magnitude scale is logarithmic. An increase of one in magnitude represents a tenfold increase in the recorded wave amplitude. However, the energy release associated with an increase of one in magnitude is not tenfold, but about thirtyfold. For example, approximately 900 times more energy is released in an earthquake of magnitude 7 than in an earthquake of magnitude 5. Each increase in magnitude of one unit is equivalent to an increase of seismic energy of about 1.6 x 10,000,000,000,000 ergs.

EQ_MAG_MS

Ms Magnitude: Valid values: 0.0 to 9.9. The Ms magnitude is the surface-wave magnitude of the earthquake. The magnitude is a measure of seismic energy. The magnitude scale is logarithmic. An increase of one in magnitude represents a tenfold increase in the recorded wave amplitude. However, the energy release associated with an increase of one in magnitude is not tenfold, but about thirtyfold. For example, approximately 900 times more energy is released in an earthquake of magnitude 7 than in an earthquake of magnitude 5. Each increase in magnitude of one unit is equivalent to an increase of seismic energy of about 1.6 x 10,000,000,000,000 ergs.

EQ_MAG_MB

mb Magnitude: Valid values: 0.0 to 9.9. The Mb magnitude is the compressional body wave (P-wave) magnitude. The magnitude is a measure of seismic energy. The magnitude scale is logarithmic. An increase of one in magnitude represents a tenfold increase in the recorded wave amplitude. However, the energy release associated with an increase of one in magnitude is not tenfold, but about thirtyfold. For example, approximately 900 times more energy is released in an earthquake of magnitude 7 than in an earthquake of magnitude 5. Each increase in magnitude of one unit is equivalent to an increase of seismic energy of about 1.6 x 10,000,000,000,000 ergs.

EQ_MAG_ML

ML Magnitude: Valid values: 0.0 to 9.9. The ML magnitude was the original magnitude relationship defined by Richter and Gutenberg for local earthquakes in 1935. It is based on the maximum amplitude of a seismogram recorded on a Wood-Anderson torsion seismograph. Although these instruments are no longer widely in use, ML values are calculated using modern instrumentation with appropriate adjustments. The magnitude is a measure of seismic energy. The magnitude scale is logarithmic. An increase of one in magnitude represents a tenfold increase in the recorded wave amplitude. However, the energy release associated with an increase of one in magnitude is not tenfold, but about thirtyfold. For example, approximately 900 times more energy is released in an earthquake of magnitude 7 than in an earthquake of magnitude 5. Each increase in magnitude of one unit is equivalent to an increase of seismic energy of about 1.6 x 10,000,000,000,000 ergs.

EQ_MAG_MFA

Mfa Magnitude: Valid values: 0.0 to 9.9 The Mfa magnitudes are computed from the felt area, for earthquakes that occurred before seismic instruments were in general use. The magnitude is a measure of seismic energy. The magnitude scale is logarithmic. An increase of one in magnitude represents a tenfold increase in the recorded wave amplitude. However, the energy release associated with an increase of one in magnitude is not tenfold, but about thirtyfold. For example, approximately 900 times more energy is released in an earthquake of magnitude 7 than in an earthquake of magnitude 5. Each increase in magnitude of one unit is equivalent to an increase of seismic energy of about 1.6 x 10,000,000,000,000 ergs.

EQ_MAG_UNK

Unknown Magnitude: Valid values: 0.0 to 9.9. The computational method for the earthquake magnitude was unknown and could not be determined from the published sources. The magnitude is a measure of seismic energy. The magnitude scale is logarithmic. An increase of one in magnitude represents a tenfold increase in the recorded wave amplitude. However, the energy release associated with an increase of one in magnitude is not tenfold, but about thirtyfold. For example, approximately 900 times more energy is released in an earthquake of magnitude 7 than in an earthquake of magnitude 5. Each increase in magnitude of one unit is equivalent to an increase of seismic energy of about 1.6 x 10,000,000,000,000 ergs.

INTENSITY

MMI Intensity: Valid values: 1 to 12. The Modified Mercalli Intensity (Int) is given in Roman Numerals (converted to numbers in the digital database).

COUNTRY

The Country where the Earthquake occurred

STATE

The two-letter State or Province abbreviation where the Earthquake occurred.

LOCATION_NAME

The Country, State, Province or City where the Earthquake occurred (For example enter: USA or California or San Francisco). This is only an approximate geographic location. Events prior to 1900 were not instrumentally located, therefore, the location given is based on the latitude and longitude of the city where the damage occurred. In the Geographic Location column, the country is listed first, then the province or state, and finally the city or cities where damage was reported. If there are different spellings of a city name the additional spellings are in parentheses.

LATITUDE

Valid values: -90 to +90. Latitude: 0 to 90 (Northern Hemisphere) -90 to 0 (Southern Hemisphere). Events prior to 1900 were not instrumentally located, therefore, the location given is based on the latitude and longitude of the city where the damage occurred. The event coordinates of approximately 100 earthquakes in this database are not known and the latitude and longitude are listed as 0.0. Therefore, to retrieve all the events from a particular country or state, leave the event coordinates search parameter blank and enter the country.

LONGITUDE

Valid values: -180 to +180. Longitude: 0 to 180 (Eastern Hemisphere) -180 to 0 (Western Hemisphere). Events prior to 1900 were not instrumentally located, therefore, the location given is based on the latitude and longitude of the city where the damage occurred. The event coordinates of approximately 100 earthquakes in this database are not known and the latitude and longitude are listed as 0.0. Therefore, to retrieve all the events from a particular country or state, leave the event coordinates search parameter blank and enter the country.

REGION_CODE

Regional boundaries defined as follows: 10 = Central, Western and S. Africa; 15 = Northern Africa; 20 = Antarctica; 30 = East Asia; 40 = Central Asia and Caucasus; 50 = Kamchatka and Kuril Islands; 60 = S. and SE. Asia and Indian Ocean; 70 = Atlantic Ocean; 80 = Bering Sea; 90 = Caribbean; 100 = Central America; 110 = Eastern Europe; 120 = Northern and Western Europe; 130 = Southern Europe; 140 = Middle East; 150 = North America and Hawaii; 160 = South America; 170 = Central and South Pacific

DEATHS

Valid values: 0 to 1100000. Whenever possible, numbers of deaths are listed. When references give different death tolls, each death toll and corresponding reference is listed as a separate record.

DEATHS_DESCRIPTION

Valid values: 0 to 4. When a description was found in the historical literature instead of an actual number of deaths, this value was coded and listed in the Deaths De column. If the actual number of deaths was listed, a descriptor was also added for search purposes. 0 = None; 1 = Few (~1 to 50 deaths); 2 = Some (~51 to 100 deaths); 3 = Many (~101 to 1000 deaths); 4 = Very Many (~1001 or more deaths)

MISSING

Valid values: 0 to 1100000 Whenever possible, numbers of missing are listed. When references give different numbers of missing, each missing number and corresponding reference is listed as a separate record.

MISSING_DESCRIPTION

Valid values: 0 to 4. When a description was found in the historical literature instead of an actual number of missing, this value was coded and listed in the Missing De column. If the actual number of Missing was listed, a descriptor was also added for search purposes. 0 = None; 1 = Few (~1 to 50 missing); 2 = Some(~51 to 100 missing); 3 = Many (~101 to 1000 missing); 4 = Very Many (~1001 or more missing)

INJURIES

Valid values: 0 to 30000. Whenever possible, numbers of injuries from the earthquake are listed.

INJURIES_DESCRIPTION

Valid values: 0 to 4. When a description was found in the historical literature instead of an actual number of injuries, this value was coded and listed in the Injuries De column. If the actual number of injuries was listed, a descriptor was also added for search purposes. 0 = None; 1 = Few (~1 to 50 injuries); 2 = Some(~51 to 100 injuries); 3 = Many (~101 to 1000 injuries); 4 = Very Many (~1001 or more injuries)

DAMAGE_MILLIONS_DOLLARS

The value in the Damage column should be multipled by 1,000,000 to obtain the actual dollar amount. When a dollar amount for damage was found in the literature, it was listed in the Damage column in millions of U.S. dollars. The dollar value listed is the value at the time of the event. To convert the damage to current dollar values, please use the Consumer Price Index Calculator. Monetary conversion tables for the time of the event were used to convert foreign currency to U.S. dollars.

DAMAGE_DESCRIPTION

Valid values: 0 to 4. For those events not offering a monetary evaluation of damage, the following five-level scale was used to classify damage (1990 dollars) and was listed in the Damage De column. If the actual dollar amount of damage was listed, a descriptor was also added for search purposes. 0 = NONE; 1 = LIMITED (roughly corresponding to less than $1 million); 2 = MODERATE (~$1 to $5 million); 3 = SEVERE (~>$5 to $24 million); 4 = EXTREME (~$25 million or more) When possible, a rough estimate was made of the dollar amount of damage based upon the description provided, in order to choose the damage category. In many cases, only a single descriptive term was available. These terms were converted to the damage categories based upon the authors apparent use of the term elsewhere. In the absence of other information, LIMITED is considered synonymous with slight, minor, and light, SEVERE as synonymous with major, extensive, and heavy, and EXTREME as synonymous with catastrophic. Note: The descriptive terms relate approximately to current dollar values.

HOUSES_DESTROYED

Valid values: 0 to 1100000. Whenever possible, numbers of houses destroyed are listed.

HOUSES_DESTROYED_DESCRIPTION

Valid values: 0 to 4. For those events not offering an exact number of houses destroyed, the following four-level scale was used to classify the destruction and was listed in the Houses Destroyed De column. If the actual number of houses destroyed was listed, a descriptor was also added for search purposes. 0 = None; 1 = Few (~1 to 50 houses); 2 = Some (~51 to 100 houses); 3 = Many (~101 to 1000 houses); 4 = Very Many (~1001 or more houses)

HOUSES_DAMAGED

Valid values: 0 to 1100000. Whenever possible, numbers of houses damaged are listed.

HOUSES_DAMAGED_DESCRIPTION

Valid values: 0 to 4. For those events not offering an exact number of houses damaged, the following four-level scale was used to classify the damage and was listed in the Houses Damaged De column. If the actual number of houses destroyed was listed, a descriptor was also added for search purposes. 0 = None; 1 = Few (~1 to 50 houses); 2 = Some (~51 to 100 houses); 3 = Many (~101 to 1000 houses); 4 = Very Many (~1001 or more houses)

TOTAL_DEATHS

Valid values: 0 to 1100000. Whenever possible, total number of deaths from the earthquake and secondary effects are listed. When references give different death tolls, each death toll and corresponding reference is listed as a separate record.

TOTAL_DEATHS_DESCRIPTION

Valid values: 0 to 4. When a description was found in the historical literature instead of an actual number of deaths, this value was coded and listed in the Deaths De column. If the actual number of deaths was listed, a descriptor was also added for search purposes. 0 = None; 1 = Few (~1 to 50 deaths); 2 = Some (~51 to 100 deaths); 3 = Many (~101 to 1000 deaths); 4 = Very Many (~1001 or more deaths)

TOTAL_MISSING

Valid values: 0 to 1100000. Whenever possible, total number of missing from the earthquake and secondary effects are listed.

TOTAL_MISSING_DESCRIPTION

Valid values: 0 to 4. When a description was found in the historical literature instead of an actual number of missing, this value was coded and listed in the Missing D column. If the actual number of missing was listed, a descriptor was also added for search purposes. 0 = None; 1 = Few (~1 to 50 missing); 2 = Some(~51 to 100 missing); 3 = Many (~101 to 1000 missing); 4 = Very Many (~1001 or more missing)

TOTAL_INJURIES

Total Number of Injuries from the Earthquake and secondary effects (eg Tsunami): Valid values: 0 to 30000. Whenever possible, total number of injuries from the earthquake and secondary effects are listed.

TOTAL_INJURIES_DESCRIPTION

Description of Injuries from the Earthquake and secondary effects (eg Tsunami): Valid values: 0 to 4. When a description was found in the historical literature instead of an actual number of injuries, this value was coded and listed in the Injuries De column. If the actual number of injuries was listed, a descriptor was also added for search purposes. 0 = None; 1 = Few (~1 to 50 injuries); 2 = Some(~51 to 100 injuries); 3 = Many (~101 to 1000 injuries); 4 = Very Many (~1001 or more injuries)

TOTAL_DAMAGE_MILLIONS_DOLLARS

Total Damage in Millions of Dollars from the Earthquake and secondary effects (eg Tsunami): The value in the Damage column should be multipled by 1,000,000 to obtain the actual dollar amount. When a dollar amount for damage was found in the literature, it was listed in the Damage column in millions of U.S. dollars. The dollar value listed is the value at the time of the event. To convert the damage to current dollar values, please use the Consumer Price Index Calculator. Monetary conversion tables for the time of the event were used to convert foreign currency to U.S. dollars.

TOTAL_DAMAGE_DESCRIPTION

Description of Damage from the Earthquake and secondary effects (eg Tsunami): Valid values: 0 to 4. For those events not offering a monetary evaluation of damage, the following five-level scale was used to classify damage (1990 dollars) and was listed in the Damage De column. If the actual dollar amount of damage was listed, a descriptor was also added for search purposes. 0 = NONE; 1 = LIMITED (roughly corresponding to less than $1 million); 2 = MODERATE (~$1 to $5 million); 3 = SEVERE (~>$5 to $24 million); 4 = EXTREME (~$25 million or more). When possible, a rough estimate was made of the dollar amount of damage based upon the description provided, in order to choose the damage category. In many cases, only a single descriptive term was available. These terms were converted to the damage categories based upon the authors apparent use of the term elsewhere. In the absence of other information, LIMITED is considered synonymous with slight, minor, and light, SEVERE as synonymous with major, extensive, and heavy, and EXTREME as synonymous with catastrophic. Note: The descriptive terms relate approximately to current dollar values.

TOTAL_HOUSES_DESTROYED

Total Number of Houses Destroyed by the Earthquake and secondary effects (eg Tsunami): Valid values: 0 to 1100000. Whenever possible, numbers of houses destroyed are listed.

TOTAL_HOUSES_DESTROYED_DESCRIPTION

Description of Houses Destroyed by the Earthquake and secondary effects (eg Tsunami): Valid values: 0 to 4. For those events not offering an exact number of houses destroyed, the following four-level scale was used to classify the destruction and was listed in the Houses Destroyed De column. If the actual number of houses destroyed was listed, a descriptor was also added for search purposes. 0 = None; 1 = Few (~1 to 50 houses); 2 = Some (~51 to 100 houses); 3 = Many (~101 to 1000 houses); 4 = Very Many (~1001 or more houses)

TOTAL_HOUSES_DAMAGED

Total Number of Houses Damaged by the Earthquake and secondary effects (eg Tsunami): Valid values: 0 to 1100000. Whenever possible, numbers of houses damaged are listed.

TOTAL_HOUSES_DAMAGED_DESCRIPTION

Description of Houses Damaged by the Earthquake and secondary effects (eg Tsunami): Valid values: 0 to 4. For those events not offering an exact number of houses damaged, the following four-level scale was used to classify the damage and was listed in the Houses Damaged De column. If the actual number of houses damaged was listed, a descriptor was also added for search purposes. 0 = None; 1 = Few (~1 to 50 houses); 2 = Some (~51 to 100 houses); 3 = Many (~101 to 1000 houses); 4 = Very Many (~1001 or more houses)

Source

https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/nndc/struts/form?t=101650&s=1&d=1


cogitoergoread/noaa documentation built on May 20, 2019, 1:28 p.m.