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M. C. Stickney

Publications and source records attributed to M. C. Stickney.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

The 16 May 1909 northern Great Plains earthquake

The largest historical earthquake in the northern Great Plains occurred on 16 May 1909. Our analysis of intensity assignments places the earthquake location (48.81° N, 105.38° W) close to the Montana–Saskatchewan border with an intensity magnitude MI of 5.3–5.4. Observations from two seismic observatories in Europe give an average Ms value of 5.3. The 1909 earthquake is near an alignment of epicenters of small earthquakes in Montana and Saskatchewan and on strike with the mapped Hinsdale fault in Montana. Thus, the 1909 earthquake may have occurred on a 300-km-long seismically active fault, which could have seismic-hazard implications for the region, particularly for the hydraulically emplaced earth-filled Fort Peck Dam, constructed in the 1930s on the Missouri River in northeast Montana.

Great Plains↗

Modified Mercalli intensity assignments for the May 16, 1909, Northern Plains earthquake

We use newspaper accounts from the United States and Canada to assign modified Mercalli intensity (MMI) at 90 towns for the May 16, 1909 Northern Plains earthquake. Our MMI assignments generally are consistent with those plotted on Nuttli's (1976) isoseiemal map. The earthquake was felt over more than 1,500,000 km2 in the states of Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming and the provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, and Saskatchewan.

Open-File Report↗

Modified Mercalli Intensity Assignments for the May 16, 1909, Northern Plains Earthquake

We combine newspaper accounts and Nuttli's (1976) isoseismal map to assign modified Mercalli intensity (MMI) at 76 towns for the May 16, 1909 Northern Plains earthquake. The earthquake was felt across more than 1,500,000 km2 in the States of Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming and the Provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, and Saskatchewan.

Open-File Report↗

Geologic map of the Lima 30’ x 60’ quadrangle, southwest Montana

This geologic map represents a compilation of mostly previously unpublished maps by numerous authors. The map is divided into three areas of responsibility: 1) the Tendoy Mountains and western Centennial Mountains, mapped and compiled by Betty Skipp, Susanne Janecke, and Bill Perry (Part A); 2) the Snowcrest Range, mapped by Edward T. Ruppel (Part B), and 3) the remainder of the area, including the Sage Creek basin, the Red Rock Hills, the Blacktail Range, and the Upper Blacktail Deer Creek valley, compiled and mapped by Jeff Lonn and Jim Sears, with data also contributed by Bill Fritz, Hugh Hurlow, and Rob Thomas (Part C). Figure 1 shows mapping responsibilities. The geologic map (Plate 1) is accompanied by this text pamphlet describing map units for each of the three areas. The same lithologic distinctions among units and the same unit labels were used where possible, usually where formal stratigraphic nomenclature existed, but each area has its own informal Tertiary and Quaternary stratigraphy. References are also given separately in each section. However, correlation diagrams for each of the three areas are shown in a single Correlation Chart for the whole quadrangle (Figure 2). Plate 2, at the same scale, is provided in order to show more readily the names being applied to specific faults and folds, particularly in the Tendoy Mountains and western Centennial Mountains.

Montana↗