M 6.6 - Near Marysvale, Utah

An earthquake on the Tushar fault caused much damage to brick buildings and chimneys from Parowan (Iron County) on the south to Richfield (Sevier County) on the north [a distance of about 120 km]. Extensive rockslides occurred between Beaver (Beaver County) and Marysvale (Piute County). Masses of fallen rock in Bullion and Cottonwood Canyons [near Marysvale] made the roads almost impassable. Water and sand were ejected from cracks that formed in the ground about 5 km east of Richfield [actually Marysvale - see below]; creeks in the area increased their flow. Many towns sustained minor damage. Aftershocks continued for several weeks. It was also felt at Salt Lake City, 220 km to the north [of Richfield]. (Ref. 38, 52.)

Maximum observed Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) VIII

Abridged from Seismicity of the United States, 1568-1989 (Revised), by Carl W. Stover and Jerry L. Coffman, U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1527, United States Government Printing Office, Washington: 1993.

An earthquake of magnitude about 6½ occurred near Richfield, Utah at 9:39 PM on Wednesday, Nov 13, 1901 [equivalent to Nov 14 at 04:39 UTC]. It was reported felt within an area of 130,000 km² (about 50,000 mi²).

Towns where damage was reported included Beaver, Elsinore, Joseph and Richfield. There was no loss of life, but people were frightened badly. Ground cracks were observed near Marysvale. The cracks were one to 18 inches [about 2.5-45 cm] wide and from a few feet to 300 feet [about 1-90 m] long. Fine sand and water was ejected from the larger cracks. Near Koosharem [about 30 km east of Marysvale], the ground sank in some places and soft earth was thrown up in other places. In East Fork Canyon near Junction [about 25 km south of Marysvale], large rocks rolled down and damaged the wagon road. Flashes of light were reported along the ridges and mountain crests in Piute and Sevier Counties. The earthquake was felt south to St. George and east to Moab.

Note: The Salt Lake Tribune of Nov 15, 1901, the Deseret Evening News of Dec 06, and the Salt Lake Herald of Dec 07, archived by this project, all clearly show that the reports of ground cracks and sand and water ejections were near Marysvale. Stover and Coffman (1993, above) incorrectly attributed these effects to Richfield.

Abridged from the University of Utah Seismograph Stations, Intermountain Seismic Belt Historical Earthquake Project, Salt Lake City, online at https://quake.utah.edu/earthquake-information-products/intermountain-seismic-belt-historical-earthquake-project.

This earthquake was also felt in parts of western Colorado, including Delta, Durango, Fruita, Grand Junction, and Montrose.

Abridged from Colorado Earthquake Information 1867 to 1996, by Robert M. Kirkham and William P. Rogers, Colorado Geological Survey Bulletin 52, Denver: 2000.