1783 New Jersey earthquake
   New York | |
| UTC time | 1783-11-30 03:50 |
|---|---|
| USGS-ANSS | ComCat |
| Local date | November 29, 1783 |
| Magnitude | 5.3 Mfa[1] |
| Epicenter | 41°00′N 74°30′W / 41.0°N 74.5°W |
| Areas affected | New Jersey |
| Max. intensity | MMI VII (Very strong) |
The 1783 New Jersey earthquake that occurred on November 29[2] was the state's first recorded seismic event.[3] It is estimated that the earthquake was the largest and strongest that the state has ever recorded.[4] The quake measured an estimated magnitude of 5.3[5] on the Richter Scale.[6] Large earthquakes above 5.0 can potentially cause damage to larger, wider areas.[7]
Location
The earthquake is thought to have originated from within the New Jersey Highlands of the Reading Prong,[8] possibly on the 12-kilometer long Ramapo fault.[9] The mainshock was part of a sequence that occurred over a span of a several hours.[10] A brief foreshock occurred at 9:00 PM on November 29 (02:00 UTC on November 30), and an aftershock five hours later was reported only in New York City and in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[11] The main shaking was felt from New Hampshire to Pennsylvania.[12] There are reports and recordings in diaries that suggest that the earthquake was felt in neighbouring states.[13]
Damage
The earthquake caused intensity VII damage on the Mercalli intensity scale.[14] The overall destruction of the quake was not very serious.[15] The physical damages include dishes thrown off the shelves, people waking up from the shaking, and multiple damaged chimneys.[16] George Washington was sleeping at Fraunces Tavern when the earthquake struck, but he was not woken by the tremors.[17]
Reports
Reports show that the earthquake was felt in Philadelphia, New Haven, and Boston.[18]
Diary Reports
Diary entries regarding the earthquake were very brief.[19]
| Diary Author | Relevant Volume & Page | Relevant Dates | Relevant Passage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacob Hiltzheimer | Volume 13 | 29 November 1783 | “29 [November] Sat[urday]. Clear. Mr. Philip Derheimer spend [sic] the evening at my home. At about twenty minutes after 10 o’clock at night I felt an Earthquake walking through the room upstairs by the Rattling of the Windows which lasted about a half a minute." |
| Cotton Tuff | N/A | 29 November 1783 | “Between 10 & 11 [pm] a small shock of an Earthquake” |
Newspaper Reports
Many Contemporary newspapers reported on the earthquake.[21]
| Newspaper Company | Relevant Dates | Relevant Passage |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania Packet | 2 December 1783 | “On Saturday night last, about a quarter after ten o’clock, a smart shock of an earthquake was felt in and about this city; and about one o’clock on Sunday morning another, less violent, was felt by many people in the city and suburbs. Most of the houses were very sensibly shaken so that in many the china and pewter, &c. were thrown off the shelves, and several persons were waked [sic] from their sleep. We hope that the country has sustained no damage by this convulsion of nature, which brings fresh to our memory the late calamities of Italy, &c, &c.” |
References
- ^ Stover & Coffman 1993, p. 306.
- ^ “Best Guess as to Number of Earthquakes in NJ since 1783,” NJ Spotlight News, December 10, 2020, Retrieved January 9, 2024, https://www.njspotlightnews.org/2020/12/earthquakes-nj-epicenter-total-1783-100-interactive-maps/.
- ^ Amy Kuperinsky | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, “What Was the Biggest Earthquake to Shake N.J.? Freehold Event Was Small by Comparison.,” nj, September 9, 2020, Retrieved January 1, 2024, https://www.nj.com/news/2020/09/what-was-the-biggest-earthquake-to-shake-nj-freehold-event-was-small-by-comparison.html.
- ^ Amy Kuperinsky | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, “What Was the Biggest Earthquake to Shake N.J.? Freehold Event Was Small by Comparison.,” nj, September 9, 2020, Retrieved January 1, 2024, https://www.nj.com/news/2020/09/what-was-the-biggest-earthquake-to-shake-nj-freehold-event-was-small-by-comparison.html.
- ^ Stover, C. W.; Coffman, J. L. (1993), Seismicity of the United States, 1568–1989 (Revised) (PDF), U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1527, p. 306.
- ^ Lou Russo, “NJ’s Earthquake of 1783,” 94.3 The Point, November 16, 2017, Retrieved January 7, 2024, https://943thepoint.com/did-you-know-about-new-jerseys-november-earthquake-of-1783/#:~:text=It%20scared%20many%20in%20the.
- ^ "Section 5.5 Earthquake" (PDF). New Jersey (.gov). Retrieved January 10, 2024. p. 11.
- ^ Amy Kuperinsky | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, “What Was the Biggest Earthquake to Shake N.J.? Freehold Event Was Small by Comparison.,” nj, September 9, 2020, Retrieved January 1, 2024, https://www.nj.com/news/2020/09/what-was-the-biggest-earthquake-to-shake-nj-freehold-event-was-small-by-comparison.html.
- ^ Katrin Kleemann, “29 November 1783: The Night the US East Coast Was Awoken by ‘a Small Shock of an Earthquake,’” Environmental History Now., September 10, 2018, Retrieved January 9, 2024, https://envhistnow.com/2018/09/10/the-night-of-an-earthquake/.
- ^ Amy Kuperinsky | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, “What Was the Biggest Earthquake to Shake N.J.? Freehold Event Was Small by Comparison.,” nj, September 9, 2020, Retrieved January 9, 2024, https://www.nj.com/news/2020/09/what-was-the-biggest-earthquake-to-shake-nj-freehold-event-was-small-by-comparison.html.
- ^ "Historic Earthquakes: New Jersey 1783". USGS. July 16, 2008. Retrieved November 15, 2008.
- ^ "Damaging Earthquakes Felt in New Jersey". New Jersey Geological Survey. Retrieved November 19, 2008.
- ^ Katrin Kleemann, “29 November 1783: The Night the US East Coast Was Awoken by ‘a Small Shock of an Earthquake,’” Environmental History Now., September 10, 2018, Retrieved January 9, 2024, https://envhistnow.com/2018/09/10/the-night-of-an-earthquake/.
- ^ Dombroski Jr. R. David. "Earthquake Risk in New Jersey". New Jersey Geological Survey. Retrieved November 19, 2008.
- ^ Amy Kuperinsky | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, “What Was the Biggest Earthquake to Shake N.J.? Freehold Event Was Small by Comparison.,” nj, September 9, 2020, Retrieved January 1, 2024, https://www.nj.com/news/2020/09/what-was-the-biggest-earthquake-to-shake-nj-freehold-event-was-small-by-comparison.html.
- ^ Amy Kuperinsky | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, “What Was the Biggest Earthquake to Shake N.J.? Freehold Event Was Small by Comparison.,” nj, September 9, 2020, Retrieved January 1, 2024, https://www.nj.com/news/2020/09/what-was-the-biggest-earthquake-to-shake-nj-freehold-event-was-small-by-comparison.html.
- ^ Chernow, Ron (2010). Washington: A Life. New York: Penguin Press. ISBN 978-1-59420-266-7.
- ^ Katrin Kleemann, “29 November 1783: The Night the US East Coast Was Awoken by ‘a Small Shock of an Earthquake,’” Environmental History Now., September 10, 2018, Retrieved January 9, 2024, https://envhistnow.com/2018/09/10/the-night-of-an-earthquake/.
- ^ Katrin Kleemann, “29 November 1783: The Night the US East Coast Was Awoken by ‘a Small Shock of an Earthquake,’” Environmental History Now., September 10, 2018, Retrieved January 9, 2024, https://envhistnow.com/2018/09/10/the-night-of-an-earthquake/.
- ^ Katrin Kleemann, “29 November 1783: The Night the US East Coast Was Awoken by ‘a Small Shock of an Earthquake,’” Environmental History Now., September 10, 2018, Retrieved January 9, 2024, https://envhistnow.com/2018/09/10/the-night-of-an-earthquake/.
- ^ Katrin Kleemann, “29 November 1783: The Night the US East Coast Was Awoken by ‘a Small Shock of an Earthquake,’” Environmental History Now., September 10, 2018, Retrieved January 9, 2024, https://envhistnow.com/2018/09/10/the-night-of-an-earthquake/.
- ^ Katrin Kleemann, “29 November 1783: The Night the US East Coast Was Awoken by ‘a Small Shock of an Earthquake,’” Environmental History Now., September 10, 2018, Retrieved January 9, 2024, https://envhistnow.com/2018/09/10/the-night-of-an-earthquake/.