1904 Samos earthquake

1904 Samos earthquake
Date August 11, 1904 (1904-08-11)
Magnitude 6.8 Mw
Depth 10 km (6 mi)
Epicenter 37°45′N 27°00′E / 37.75°N 27.00°E / 37.75; 27.00Coordinates: 37°45′N 27°00′E / 37.75°N 27.00°E / 37.75; 27.00[1]
Type Oblique-slip
Areas affected Greece
Max. intensity X (Extreme)
Casualties 4 deaths

The 1904 Samos earthquake struck Greece on August 11 with Richter magnitude of 6.2 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme). Four people were killed.

Damage and casualties

The earthquake registered a magnitude of 6.2 on the Richter magnitude scale[2] and 6.8 on the moment magnitude scale.[3] Between the main shock and an aftershock that followed three days later, 540 houses were destroyed on Samos, then an autonomous part of the Ottoman Empire. Four people were killed.[2] Damage extended to Patmos and Anatolia, while shaking from the earthquake reached from offshore Chios and Santorini to Ödemiş and Aydın in Turkey.[2]

Geology

Along its source fault, the earthquake created 46 km (29 mi) of ruptured rock and had an average displacement of 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in). It originated from oblique-slip faulting.[3] The island of Samos disconnected from Anatolia, and the strait between them is less than 15 km (9.3 mi) in width. The island itself is a horst, and a large fault runs along the island's NW-W coast. Tectonic uplift is noticeable at the shores of Samos, likely linked to historic earthquakes.[4]

Seismic history

Within the last two centuries, Samos has experienced multiple powerful earthquakes registering above 6.0 on the Richter scale. Six such earthquakes were recorded during the 19th century and two more in the 20th. Analysis indicates three earthquakes before the 19th century in circa 200 BC, 47, and 1761. An earthquake in 1476 may have devastated the island to the extent that its occupants, the Genovese, evacuated. Uplift from the 6th century implies another earthquake circa 500.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Significant earthquake". National Geophysical Data Center. Retrieved 18 August 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 "Today in Earthquake History: August 11". United States Geological Survey. October 2, 2012. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
  3. 1 2 Savage, Martha Kane; Rhoades, David A.; Smith, Euan G. C.; Gerstenberger, Matthew C. & Vere-Jones, David (2011). Seismogenesis and Earthquake Forecasting: The Frank Evison. 2. Springer Science+Business Media. p. 188. ISBN 978-3034604994.
  4. 1 2 "Geomorphology and Holocene Uplift of Northwestern Samos". Virtual Explorer. 2007. Retrieved August 13, 2013.
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