EARTHQUAKES IN BRAZIL 



J. C. BRANNER 



Earthquakes are so rare in Brazil that their very rarity is a matter 

 of interest to geologists and seismologists. In order to give an idea 

 of the low seismicity of that country and to facilitate the collection 

 and preservation of data in the future I have brought together in this 

 paper all the information it has been possible to gather from a con- 

 siderable acquaintance with the literature of Brazilian geology. 



In January, 1909, Dr. M. A. R. Lisboa of Petropolis, a distinguished 

 Brazilian geologist, published in the Jornal do Commercio of Rio 

 de Janeiro a resume of Brazilian earthquakes that is the most complete 

 list thus far printed. That paper, however, is not accessible to geolo- 

 gists and seismologists, and I have been able to make several additions 

 to the list.' 



The table gives all the reported earthquakes in their chronological 

 order, and one column shows the intensities by the Rossi-Forel scale 

 as nearly as they can be judged from the accounts. 



The papers cited include all the known publications regarding 

 earthquakes in Brazil. There is one important article, however, 

 bearing upon seismology in Brazil that has not been used in construct- 

 ing the table, and that is a paper containing a list of eathquake shocks 

 reported at sea off the northeast coast of Brazil by sailing masters. 

 That article is entitled "Note sur I'existence probable d'un volcan 

 sou-marin situe par environ 0° 20' de latitude sud, et 22° de longitude 

 ouest," par P. Daussy, Comptes Rendus, VI, 512-18 (Paris, 1838). 



In his " Tremblements de Terre," Geographie Seismologigue, 

 M. Montessus de Ballore gives a chart of the region at p. 168. 



I. Manoel Ayres de Cazal. — Corografia Brazilica, ou relajao his- 

 torico-geografica do Reino do Brazil, I, 261. Rio de Janeiro, 181 7. 



In his description of the province of Matto Grosso the author has this note on 

 earthquakes: "On the 24th of September (1744) at noon, during clear weather, 

 underground thunder was heard, and immediately the earth trembled, giving 



I See reference No. 14 below. 



327 



