2013 REVIEW OF NOTABLE 2013 REVIEW OF NOTABLE EARTHQUAKES EARTHQUAKES

IN IN THE MEDITERRANEAN REGIONTHE MEDITERRANEAN REGION

Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction, Vienna, Virginia,

USA 

EARTHQUAKE DISASTERS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN REGION

• THE SEISMICITY IN THE MEDITERRANEAN HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED FOR OVER 2000 YEARS

• MANY IMPORTANT CITIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST HAVE BEEN DESTROYED BY EARTHQUAKES AND SOMETIMES TSUNAMIS

TECTONICS

2150 BC EARTHQUAKE

• EVENT• 2150 BC

• CONSEQUENCES• SODOM AND

GOMORRAH DESTROYED

525 BC EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI

• EVENT• 525 BC • COASTAL

LEBANON

• CONSEQUENCES• TYRE DESTROYED

BY TSUNAMI

140 BC EARTHQUAKE

• EVENT• 140 BC • COASTAL

LEBANON

• CONSEQUENCES• TSUNAMI STRIKES

TYRE

31 BC EARTHQUAKE

• EVENT• 31 BC• AT LEAST

MAGNITUDE 7• JORDAN VALLEY

• CONSEQUENCES• ONE OF THE

LARGEST SHOCKS IN 2000 YEARS

DECEMBER 3M 115 AD EARTHQUAKE

• EVENT• DECEMBER 3, 115

AD• LEVANTINE COAST

• CONSEQUENCES• ANTIOCH

DEVASTATED

306 AD EARTHQUAKE

• EVENT• 306 AD• LEVANTINE COAST

• CONSEQUENCES• TSUNAMI

349 AD EARTHQUAKE

• EVENT• 349 AD• COASTAL

LEBANON

• CONSEQUENCES• MOST OF BEIRUT

DESTROYED

AUGUST 21-22, 502 AD EARTHQUAKES

• EVENT• AUGUST 21-22, 502

AD• COASTAL

LEBANON

• CONSEQUENCES• DAMAGE FROM

TYRE TO ALEPPO

JULY 6, 551 EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI

• EVENT• JULY 6, 551 AD• COASTAL

LEBANON• MAY BE LARGEST

MAGNITUDE EVENT IN LEVANT

• CONSEQUENCES• TOTAL

DESTRUCTION OF BEIRUT AND A LARGE AREA

• TSUNAMI• TECTONIC

DEFORMATION

JUNE 658 AD EARTHQUAKE

• EVENT• JUNE 658 AD• SYRIA-PALESTINE

• CONSEQUENCES• DEVASTATION

EVERYWHERE

JANUARY 18, 746 AD EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI

• EVENT• JANUARY 18, 746

AD• M7.3• JORDAN VALLEY

• CONSEQUENCES• HEAVY DAMAGE

IN VALLEY• TSUNAMI

OCTOBER 881 AD EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI

• EVENT• OCTOBER 881 AD• LEVANTINE COAST

• CONSEQUENCES• TSUNAMI AT ACRE

MAY 1053 AD EARTHQUAKE

• EVENT• MAY 1063 AD• COASTAL

LEBANON

• CONSEQUENCES• ARQA DESTROYED

AND ABANDONED

AUGUST 15, 1157 EARTHQUAKE

• EVENT• AUGUST 15, 1157• MAGNITUDE 7

PLUS• BEKAA VALLEY

• CONSEQUENCES• DEAD SEA RIFT

ZONE• DAMASCUS

DESTROYED

JUNE 29, 1170 EARTHQUAKE

• EVENT• JUNE 29, 1170 AD• MAGNITUDE 7

PLUS• BEKAA VALLEY

• CONSEQUENCES• DEAD SEA RIFT

ZONE

JUNE-JULY 1201 EARTHQUAKES AND TSUNAMIS• EVENT• JUNE AND JULY,

1201 • LEVANTIAN COAST

• CONSEQUENCES• SEISMIC SWARM• DESTRUCTION IN

CYRPRUS, SYRIA, AND PALESTINE

• TSUNAMIS

MAY 20, 1202 EARTHQUAKE

• EVENT• MAY 20, 1202 • MAGNITUDE 7.5• BEKAA VALLEY

• CONSEQUENCES• DEAD SEA RIFT

ZONE• TRIPOLI, HOMS,

AND BA’ALBEK DESTROYED

AUGUST 8, 1303 EARTHQUAKE

• EVENT• AUGUST 8, 1303 • EGYPT

• CONSEQUENCES• DAMAGE IN CAIRO

AND ALEXANDRIA

DECEMBER 1403 - JANUARY 1404 EARTHQUAKES AND TSUNAMIS• EVENT• DECEMBER 1403-

JANUARY 1404• LEVANTINE COAST

• CONSEQUENCES• TSUNAMI

SEPTEMBER 19, 1509 EARTHQUAKES

• EVENT• SEPTEMBER 10,

1509• MARMARA SEA

• CONSEQUENCES• ISTANBUL

DESTROYED

JULY 21, 1752 EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI

• EVENT• JULY 21, 1752• LEVANTINE COAST

• CONSEQUENCES• TSUNAMIS

NOVEMBER 25, 1759 BEKAA VALLEY EARTHQUAKE

• EVENT• NOVEMBER 25, 1759• MAGNITUDE 7.4• BEKAA VALLEY

• CONSEQUENCES• DEAD SEA RIFT

ZONE• BEIRUT AND

DAMASCUS DEVASTATED

• 30,000 DEAD

AUGUST 13, 1882 EARTHQUAKE

• EVENT• AUGUST 13, 1822• ALEPPO, SYRIA

• CONSEQUENCES• 20,000 KILLED• 17,000 HOUSES

DESTROYED

JANUARY 1, 1837 EARTHQUAKE

• EVENT• JANUARY 1, 1837• TIBNIN, JORDAN

• CONSEQUENCES• 4,000 KILLED

DECEMBER 12, 1856 EARTHQUAKE

• EVENT• DECEMBER 12, 1856• JORDAN VALLEY

• CONSEQUENCES• TIBERIAS

DESTROYED• TSUNAMIS

JULY 11, 1927 EARTHQUAKE

• EVENT• JULY 11, 1927• MAGNITUDE 7.2• JORDAN VALLEY

• CONSEQUENCES• JERUSALEM AND

AMMAN DAMAGED• 340 DEAD• MANY HOUSES

DAMAGED

DECEMBER 26, 1939 ERZINCAN-REFAHIYE EARTHQUAKE

• EVENT• DECEMBER 26, 1939• MAGNITUDE 8• MANY

AFTERSHOCKS• ERZINCAN-

REFAHIYE, TURKEY

• CONSEQUENCES• NORTH ANATOLIAN

FAULT ZONE• 43,000 KILLED• 76,000 INJURED• 200,000 HOUSES

DESTROYED

MARCH 6, 1952 EARTHQUAKE

• EVENT• MARCH 16, 1952• MAGNITUDE 6• COASTAL

LEBANON, 50 KM SOUTH OF BEIRUT

• CONSEQUENCES• 136 DEAD• 6.000 HOUSES

DESTROYED

OCTOBER 10, 1980 EL ASNAM EARTHQUAQKE

• EL ASNAM, ALGERIA EARTHQUAKE

• OCTOBER 10, 1980• 2,500 DEATHS• 300,000 HOMELESS• > $ 4 BILLION IN

LOSSES (10 % OF ALGERIA’S GDP)

NOVEMBER 23, 1980 IRPINIA, ITALY EARTHQUAKE

• EVENT• NOVEMBER 23, 1980• MAGNITUDE 6.9• IRPINIA-

BASILICATA, ITALY

• CONSEQUENCES• 2,914 KILLED AND

10,000 INJURED• 300,000 HOMELESS

AND DISPLACED• AN ESTIMATED $50

BILLION IN LOSSES

DECEMBER 13, 1982 DAHMAR EARTHQUAKE

• EVENT• DECEMBER 13, 1982• MAGNITUDE 6• DAHMAR, YEMEN

• CONSEQUENCES• 15,000 KILLED OR

INJURED• 500,000 HOMELESS

AND DISPLACED

MARCH 13, 1992 ERZINCAN EARTHQUAKE

• EVENT• MARCH 13, 1992• MAGNITUDE 7.1• ERZINCAN,

TURKEY

• CONSEQUENCES• NORTH

ANATOLIAN FAULT ZONE

• 653 DEAD• 3,850 INJURED• 50,000 HOMELESS

OCTOBER 12, 1992 DAHSHOUR EARTHQUAKE

• EVENT• OCTOBER 12, 1992• MAGNITUDE 5.9• DAHSHOUR, EGYPT

• CONSEQUENCES• 7,000 KILLED OR

INJURED• 1,000 SCHOOLS

DAMAGED

NOVEMBER 23, 1995 GULF OF AQABA EVENT

• EVENT• NOVEMBER 23, 1995

MAGNITUDE 7.5• GULF OF AQABA

• CONSEQUENCS• DAMAGE TO

BUILDNGS IN BORDER REGIONS OF JORDAN, EGYPT, ISRAEL, AND SAUDI ARABIA

• CONSIDERED A “WAKE UP CALL”

AUGUST 17, 1999 KOCAELI EARTHQUAKE

• EVENT• 3:02 AM AUGUST

17, 1999• MAGNITUDE 7.4• KOCAELI, TURKEY• INDUSTRIAL

HEARTLAND AND 12,500 SQUARE KM IMPACTED

• CONSEQUENCES• NORTH

ANATOLIAN FAULT ZONE

• 17,127 KILLED• 43,953 INJURED• 250,000 HOMELESS• ECONOMIC LOSSES

IN BILLIONS

KOCAELI EARTHQUAKE

• INDUSTRIAL HEARTLAND DEVASTATED

• OIL REFINERY• AUTO PLANT• 30,500 BUSINESSES

AFFECTED• ECONOMIC LOSSES

IN THE BILLIONS

NOVEMBER 12, 1999 DUZCE EARTHQUAKE

• EVENT• 6:57 PM NOVEMBER

12, 1999• MAGNITUDE 7.2• DUZCE, TURKEY,

185 KM EAST OF ISTANBUL

• CONSEQUENCES• NORTH

ANATOLIAN FAULT ZONE

• 500 DEAD• 3,000 INJURED• TRANS-EUROPEAN

MOTORWAY DAMAGED

MAY 21, 2003 BOUMERDES, ALGERIA EARTHQUAKE

• EVENT• 7:45 PM MAY 21, 2003• MAGNITUDE 6.8• BOUMERDES

PROVINCE, ALGERIA, 60 KM FROM ALGIERS

• CONSEQUENCES• AFRICA-EURASIA

PLATE COLLISION; ZEMMOURI FAULT

• 2,266 DEAD; 10,261 INJURED

• 1,241 BUILDINGS DAMAGED ; 150,000 HOMELESS

BOUMERDES EARTHQUAKE

BAM, IRAN EARTHQUAKE2003M6/6

OVER 31,000 DEAD

CITADEL OF BAM, IRAN: BEFORE EARTHQUAKE:

CITADEL OF BAM, IRAN: AFTER EARTHQUAKE:

APRIL 6, 2009 L’AQUILLA (ABRUZZO) EARTHQUAKE

• EVENT• 3:30 AM APRIL 6,

2009• MAGNITUDE 6.3• L’AQUILLA, ITALY,

70 KM FROM ROME

• CONSEQUENCES• NORMAL FAULT

SYSTEM• 300 DEAD• AN ESTIMATED

11,000 BUILDINGS DAMAGED

TWIN MODERATE-MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKES STRIKE IRAN

SATURDAY, AUGUST 11, 2012

Iran has many well-known seismically active faults, which have generated

devastating earthquakes in recent years, including a M6.6 earthquake in 2003 that destroyed the city of Bam and killed more

than 31,000 people

THE EARTHQUAKES (Source: US Geological Survey)

• Saturday's first quake of M6.4 and a depth of 9.9 km (6.2 miles) struck just before 5 pm 60 km (37 miles) northeast of the city of Tabriz.

• Saturday’s second quake of M6.3 at a similar depth struck 49 km (30 miles) northeast of Tabriz 11 minutes later.

The earthquakes struck in East Azerbaijan province, a mountainous region that neighbors Azerbaijan and

Armenia to the north and is predominantly populated by ethnic

Azeris, a minority group.

INITIAL IMPACTS

• Over 1,000 villages were affected, with over 5,000 buildings in 100 villages partially or totally destroyed as concrete-block and mud-brick buildings collapsed.

• At least 20 villages could not be reached because of impassable roads.

• People in some villages were in dire need of food and drinking water.

VARZAGHAN: DAMAGE

INITIAL IMPACTS

• Over 300 dead (more likely), with over 60 percent being women and children, partly due to the time of day (5 PM) that the quake struck.

• Over 1,800 injured.

INITIAL IMPACTS (continued)

• 36,000 people in the quake-hit area were provided with emergency shelter.

• Many slept on the street and in parks.• A field hospital set up in Varzaghan on Sunday

to treat the injured was staffed by just two doctors, but ,with shortages of medical supplies and food, was hard pressed to meet the urgent needs.

INITIAL IMPACTS (continued)

• Hospitals Hospitals in Tabriz (49 km distance) treated many of the injured from the surrounding villages.

• Water, electricity, and phone lines in the Varzaghan area were all down, further hindering rescue efforts

• Preliminary loss estimate: $650 million USD