NEHRP Clearinghouse
- Title
- The Honomu, Hawaii, Earthquake.
- File
- PB293025.pdf
- Author(s)
- Nielsen, N. N.; Furumoto, A. S.; Lum, W.; Morrill, B. J.
- Source
- National Science Foundation, Washington, DC. Applied Science and Research Applications., January 1977, 97 p.
- Abstract
- The April 1973 earthquake was the first one for which strong motion accelerograms were obtained in Hawaii. Ground motion in the volcanic ash turned out to be quite different from the ground motion of the lava rock. This was evident not only from the damage picture but also from the recorded aftershocks. Volcanic ash remained stable during this earthquake; it is not necessarily true that the volcanic ash would not liquefy during an earthquake of longer duration. Damage was not as great as found in other earthquakes of this magnitude (6.2). This can be attributed to several facts; the earthquake was very deep-seated (41 km); the duration of the strong motion was short (7 sec); and the island of Hawaii is sparsely populated (its total population is 70,000, of whom 30,000 live in Hilo). There are very few tall buildings in Hilo; most are one- or two-story residential units. A significant portion of the damage was to public roads and bridges. Seismometric data and preliminary strong-motion instrumental results and aftershocks are presented. Soil mechanics and foundations, soil dynamic analyses, and earthquake damages are discussed.
- Keywords
- Damage assessment; Lavas; Volcanic ejecta; Earth movements; Hawaii; Honomu (Hawaii); Hawaii Island; Soil mechanics; Earthquakes