Gilroy, California Earthquake

First Posting | Summary
Posting Date: May 14, 2002, 9:40:00 AM

A moderate earthquake shook central California Monday, May 13, 2002 at 10 p.m. local time (05:00 UTC). Assigned a preliminary magnitude of 5.2 by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the quake occurred about three miles southwest of Gilroy, CA, which is located about 30 miles south of San Jose and 75 miles south of San Francisco. The focal depth was shallow and estimated at 4.7 miles (7.6 km). This event most likely occurred on the Sergeant Fault, which lies parallel to and within a few kilometers from the Peninsula Segment of the San Andreas Fault. The total length of this fault is 33 miles (53 km) and is capable of producing a maximum magnitude of 6.8 with a return period of 1200 years. The quake was felt throughout the San Francisco Bay area from Monterey to Santa Rosa. No significant damage or injuries have been reported at this time although local sources reported cracked windows in the in the central business district and a local store was flooded after the sprinkler system was damaged. The AIR earthquake team has run scenarios based on the currently available information and results indicate that insured losses will be minimal. AIR will continue to monitor events in this area.

First Posting | Downloads
Posting Date: May 14, 2002, 9:40:00 AM