The 1944 Cornwall–Massena earthquake occurred on September 5 at 12:38:45 am EDT in Massena,

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. It registered 5.8 on the

moment magnitude scale The moment magnitude scale (MMS; denoted explicitly with or Mw, and generally implied with use of a single M for magnitude) is a measure of an earthquake's magnitude ("size" or strength) based on its seismic moment. It was defined in a 1979 pa ...

and had a maximum

Mercalli intensity The Modified Mercalli intensity scale (MM, MMI, or MCS), developed from Giuseppe Mercalli's Mercalli intensity scale of 1902, is a seismic intensity scale used for measuring the intensity of shaking produced by an earthquake. It measures the eff ...

of VIII (''Severe''). This area is part of the Saint Lawrence River Valley and the seismically active zone known as the Saint Lawrence rift system. The earthquake is the largest known in New York's

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and was felt over great distances.

Damage

The earthquake was felt as far away as

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, and

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. It caused property damage of $2million (equivalent to $million in ). Several large aftershocks were felt in the general area, described as a low rumble followed by a loud bang. In the village of Massena, New York, approximately 90percent of its chimneys were destroyed or damaged, along with heavy damage to masonry structures. It was also reported that cracks appeared in the ground around the town of Hogansburg, located east of Massena. There were also reports of wells that dried up, and a crack in a deep alluvium north of Massena Center oozed water and sand. Damage to the city of

Cornwall, Ontario Cornwall is a city in Eastern Ontario, Canada, situated where the provinces of Ontario and Quebec and the state of New York converge. It is the seat of the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry and is Ontario's easternmost city ...

, was heavier due to a denser population and its geological location; many structures' foundations were built on sand.

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received heavy damage from masonry work falling through the roof of the gymnasium.

Epicenter

The epicenter was located in the vicinity of Massena Center, a small hamlet located east of the village of Massena. The research was taken from inspecting the local graveyards which had seen the damage done in the form of headstones rotating on their foundations. In the city of Cornwall, the French Cemetery, Saint Columban's Cemetery, and Woodlawn Cemetery were inspected and found that the headstones had turned counter-clockwise. In the town of Massena, Calvary Cemetery and Massena Center Cemetery were inspected and found the headstones had turned clockwise. Its epicenter was determined to have been located in the hamlet of Massena Center due to the greater damage of the hamlet itself and the severe rotation found in the cemetery. All chimneys received severe damage along with several reports of foundation damage.

Damage

Epicenter

See also

References

Further reading