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Accuracy of historical earthquake locations in Britain

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 May 2009

R. M. W. Musson
R. M. W. Musson
Affiliation:
Natural Environment Research Council, British Geological Survey, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3LA, U.K.
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Abstract

If historical earthquake data are to be used in studies of regional seismotectonics, it is essential to include information on likely locational uncertainty. Contributory factors include both geophysical parameters and the social environment of the event. A reconstruction of how a recent earthquake might have appeared had it occurred 300 years ago is used to demonstrate the effects of documentary survival. Limits of uncertainty are estimated for two historical earthquakes (7 October 1690 and 28 November 1880) and shown to be large. It is recommended that such events should be shown on epicentral maps as areas rather than points.

Type
Articles
Information
Geological Magazine , Volume 126 , Issue 6 , November 1989 , pp. 685 - 689
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1989

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