The Charleston Earthquake and Geology
Supplementary material for use in GEOL 103L class
1886 Great Charleston Earthquake
Structural Damage
Images below show structural damage to many buildings in the Charleston peninsula. Click on the images for close-ups and you may also be able to identify some of these buildings.
Structural damage to many buildings across the Charleston Peninsula
Damage Near the Epicenter
The images below show damage to structures (homes and railroad tracks) and evidence of liquefaction at the epicenter of the earthquake.
Evidence of liquefaction near the epicenter of the earthquake.
Intact Buildings
Homes built using wood frames and materials remained intact during the earthquake, but the masonry foundations were damaged.
These two homes are nearly intact, except for the brick foundations.
Campus Buildings
Historic buildings on MUSC (known as the Medical College in 1886), the Citadel, and the College of Charleston (Randolph Hall) campuses were extensively damaged. These damaged buildings were brick and masonry structures. Many of these historic structures (and many others across Charleston) were restored after the earthquake and have structural reinforcements in the ceiling that look like metal bolts on the walls from the outside. Some of the damage from that earthquake is still visible on buildings.
Damage to buildings on MUSC, Citadel, and CofC campuses. Note the earthquake bolts on Randolph Hall and the Porter's Lodge.
Historical Development
Use the swipe bar below to see the development that occurred in the past 100 years. The topographic map on the left is a 1919 USGS topographic map, while the map on the right is the most current topographic map. Zoom in and out and use the swipe bar to see changes to the new land that was created over the past 100 years.
The map on the left is a 1919 USGS topographic map and the map on the right is a current topographic map. Use the controls on the map to navigate and explore.
Surface Geology of Charleston
Use the swipe bar to explore the geology of surface soil and sediment on the Charleston peninsula. Click on the colors to identify the surface soil and sediment at different locations in Charleston. Compare the information from the historic topographic maps in the previous map with the surficial geology map below to help with your understanding.
The map on the left shows the surficial geology of Charleston peninsula. Click on the shading to learn about the type of sediments and soil in different sections of the peninsula.