Earthquake Damage - General |
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An earthquake is the motion or trembling of the ground produced by sudden displacement of rock in the Earth's crust. Earthquakes result from crustal strain, volcanism, landslides, and
collapse of caverns. Earthquakes can affect hundreds of thousands of square kilometers; cause damage to property measured in the tens of billions of dollars; result in loss of life and injury to hundreds of thousands of persons; and disrupt the social and economic functioning of the affected area. This set of slides provides an overview and summary of effects caused by 11
earthquakes in eight countries. The images show surface faulting, landslides, soil liquefaction, and structural damage. View Captions, Thumbnails, or Images,
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Earthquake Damage in San Francisco, California, April 18, 1906 |
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The 1906 San Francisco earthquake was the largest event (magnitude 8.3) to occur in the conterminous United States in the 20th Century. Recent estimates indicate that as many as 3,000
people lost their lives in the earthquake and ensuing fire. In terms of 1906 dollars, the total property damage amounted to about $24 million from the earthquake and $350 million from the fire. The fire destroyed 28,000 buildings in a 520-block area of San Francisco. This set includes a panoramic view of San Francisco in flames a few hours after the earthquake, damage scenes from the area, and other unique photographs. View Captions, Thumbnails, or Images,
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Earthquake Damage in Mexico City, Mexico, September 19, 1985 |
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On September 19, 1985, a magnitude 8.1 earthquake occurred off
the Pacific coast of Mexico. The damage was concentrated in a
25 square km area of Mexico City, 350 km from the epicenter. The
underlying geology and geologic history of Mexico City contributed
to this unusual concentration of damage at a distance from the
epicenter. Of a population of 18 million, an estimated 10,000
people were killed, and 50,000 were injured. In addition, 250,000
people lost their homes and property damage amounted to $5 billion.
This set of slides shows different types of damaged buildings and
the major kinds of structural failure that occurred in this
earthquake including collapse of top, middle and bottom floors and
total building failure. The effect of the subsoils on the
earthshaking and building damage is emphasized. View Captions, Thumbnails, or Images,
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Earthquake Damage to Transportation Systems |
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Earthquakes represent one of the most destructive natural hazards known to man. A serious result of large-magnitude earthquakes is the disruption of transportation systems, which limits
post-disaster emergency response. Damage to transportation systems is categorized in this set of images by cause including: ground failure, faulting, vibration damage, and tsunamis. This set of slides depicts earthquake damage to streets, highways, bridges, overpasses, and railroads. Earthquakes in Guatemala, Japan, Mexico, Armenia, and the United States are represented. View Captions, Thumbnails, or Images,
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Earthquake Damage to Schools |
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The set of slides graphically illustrates the potential danger that major earthquakes pose to school structures and to the children and adults who happen to be inside at the time of the earthquake. It
includes pictures from 1886 to 1988. The slide set includes nine destructive earthquakes that occurred in the U.S. and eight earthquakes that occurred in foreign countries. View Captions, Thumbnails, or Images,
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Great Alaska Earthquake, Prince William Sound, March 28, 1964 |
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The Prince William Sound magnitude 8.4 MS (9.2 MW) earthquake on March 28, 1964
at 03:36 GMT (March 27 at 5:36 pm local time), was one of the largest
shocks ever recorded on the North American Continent. The quake was
felt over 500,000 square miles. The quake took 131 lives and caused
$350-500 million in property damage (122 of the deaths were attributed
to the tsunami). The area of the damage zone (50,000 square miles)
and the duration of the quake (3 to 4 minutes) were extraordinary.
This set of slides shows geologic changes, damage to structures,
transportation systems, and utilities and tsunami damage. It features
the effects of four major landslides in Anchorage during the 1964 event. View Captions, Thumbnails, or Images,
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Earthquakes in Southern California |
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There have been many earthquake occurrences in Southern California.
This set of slides shows earthquake damage from the following events:
Imperial Valley 1979, Westmorland 1981, Palm Springs 1986, and
Whittier 1987. These events were all earthquakes with a magnitude
of 5.9 or higher with damage estimates of one million dollars or more. View Captions, Thumbnails, or Images,
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Earthquakes in Central California, 1980-1984 |
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There have been many earthquake occurrences in central California
This set of slides shows earthquake damage from the following events:
Livermore 1980, Coalinga 1983, and Morgan Hill 1984. All of these
earthquakes had a magnitude of 5.9 or higher with damage estimates
of eight million dollars or more. View Captions, Thumbnails, or Images,
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Faults |
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Through the study of faults and their effects, much can be learned about the size and recurrence intervals of earthquakes. Faults also teach us about crustal movements that have produced
mountains and changed continents. Initially a section of Earth's crust may merely bend under pressure to a new position. Or slow movement known as seismic creep may continue unhindered along a fault plane. However stresses often continue to build until they exceed the strength of the rock in that section of crust. The rock then breaks, and an earthquake occurs, sometimes
releasing massive amounts of energy. The ensuing earth displacement is known as a fault. This slide set describes the mechanism and types of faulting. It illustrates a variety of fault expressions in natural and manmade features. View Captions, Thumbnails, or Images,
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Earthquake Damage, the Armenian SSR, December 7, 1988 |
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On December 7, 1988, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake shook northwestern Armenia, and was followed four minutes later by a magnitude 5.8 aftershock. The earthquakes affected an area 80
km in diameter. This set includes damage photographs taken in and around the devastated cities of Spitak and Leninakan, where 25,000 deaths occurred. It illustrates the structural types that were vulnerable to failure. View Captions, Thumbnails, or Images,
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Loma Prieta Earthquake, October 18, 1989, Part 1 |
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On October 17, 1989 at 05:04 pm local time (October 18 at 00:04 GMT),
a 7.1 magnitude earthquake occurred near Loma Prieta in the Santa Cruz
mountains. Movement occurred along a 40-km segment of the San Andreas
fault from southwest of Los Gatos to north of San Juan Bautista. This
slide set includes damage in the more rural areas affected by the quake
including: Boulder Creek, Aptos, Los Gatos, San Jose, Scott's Valley,
and Watsonville. The slides also depict earth cracks and structural
damage to homes in the Santa Cruz mountains. View Captions, Thumbnails, or Images,
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Loma Prieta Earthquake, October 18, 1989, Part 2 |
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On October 17, 1989 at 05:04 pm local time (October 18 at 00:04 GMT),
a 7.1 magnitude earthquake occurred near Loma Prieta in the Santa Cruz
mountains. This earthquake is also known as the "San Francisco World
Series Earthquake". The slide set focuses on the effects in San
Francisco and Oakland. It highlights the damage in the Marina area
of San Francisco. The set also includes photographs in the area south
of Market Street where five deaths occurred, the
San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, and the Nimitz Freeway (I-880)
where 41 deaths occurred. View Captions, Thumbnails, or Images,
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Earthquake Damage, Northern Iran, June 20, 1990 |
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A magnitude 7.7 earthquake occurred in the Gilan Province between
the towns of Rudbar and Manjil in northern Iran on Thursday,
June 21, 1990 (June 20 at 21:00 GMT). The event, the largest
ever to be recorded in that part of the Caspian Sea region, may
have been composed of two or more closely-spaced earthquakes
occurring in rapid succession. These quakes, exceptionally
close to the surface for this region, were also unusually
destructive. This slide set depicts damage resulting from
intensive ground motion and soil liquefaction. It shows
damage to buildings of various types, including unreinforced
masonry, steel structures, and concrete buildings. View Captions, Thumbnails, or Images,
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Environmental Hazards and Mud Volcanoes in Romania |
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Romania, an eastern European country, is severely affected by a variety of natural hazards. These include frequent earthquakes, floods, landslides, soil erosion, and drought all of which
have major social and economic impacts. Thus, there is a long tradition of study of these hazards by scientific researchers in Romania. This set of slides includes examples of landslides, rockfalls, sheet erosion, and mudflows. View Captions, Thumbnails, or Images,
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Cape Mendocino, California Earthquakes, April 25 & 26, 1992 |
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On April 25, 1992 at 11:06 am local time (April 25 at 18:06 GMT),
a magnitude 7.1 earthquake occurred in the Cape Mendocino area.
Two additional earthquakes, magnitudes 6.6 and 6.7 occurred the
next morning (April 26 at 00:41 and 04:18 am local time). The
first earthquake was located six miles north of Petrolia,
California, in a sparsely populated part of southwestern
Humboldt County. Five small communities were located within a
50-mile radius of these events: Honeydew, Petrolia, Rio Dell,
Scotia, and Ferndale. This slide set illustrates the effects
and damage of a moderately large earthquake and moderate
aftershocks on this sparsely settled area. View Captions, Thumbnails, or Images,
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Landers and Big Bear, California Earthquakes, June 28, 1992 |
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Southern California residents were rudely awakened Sunday
morning June 28, 1992 at 04:57 am (June 28 at 11:57 GMT),
by an earthquake of magnitude 7.6 (Ms) followed by a smaller
6.7 (Ms) magnitude earthquake about three hours later
(June 28 at 15:05 GMT). The largest shock occurred
approximately 6 miles southwest of Landers, California and
110 miles east of Los Angeles.
The second earthquake was entered approximately 8 miles
southeast of Big Bear City in the San Bernardino Mountains
near Barton Flats. A distance of 17 miles and 7,000 feet
in elevation separate the two earthquake locations.
In addition to depicting the differences in terrain of the
two locations, examples of structural damage, liquefaction,
surface faulting, and earthquake-generated landslides are
illustrated. View Captions, Thumbnails, or Images,
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Northridge, California Earthquake, January 17, 1994, Set 1 |
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At 4:31 am local time (12:31 GMT) on Monday, January 17, 1994,
a magnitude 6.8 earthquake twenty miles west northwest of
downtown Los Angeles awoke nearly everyone in southern California.
Damage was most extensive in the San Fernando Valley, the Simi
Valley, and in the northern part of the Los Angeles Basin.
This slide set depicts the damage in Northridge the epicentral
area. Photos show damage to a shopping center, parking garages,
and the interior and exterior of apartment buildings. View Captions, Thumbnails, or Images,
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Northridge, California Earthquake, January 17, 1994, Set 2 |
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On Monday, January 17, 1994, at 4:31 am local time (12:31 GMT)
an earthquake occurred that took 57 lives and caused $10 billion
in property damage. This slide set includes damaged structures in
more distant communities including Sylar, Fillmore, Granada Hills,
Reseda, Van Nuys, Sherman Oaks, Chatsworth, Santa Monica, and
Los Angeles. View Captions, Thumbnails, or Images,
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San Fernando Valley California Earthquakes of 1971 and 1994 |
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This slide set compares two earthquakes that were separated by a distance of 10 miles and a time of 23 years. Disproving the notion that once an earthquake has occurred, an area is safe from
future earthquakes, these events affected much of the same area and even some of the same structures. These two events were the largest of 17 moderate-sized main shock/aftershock sequences that have occurred in the Los Angeles area since 1920. The 1971 shock is referred to in the scientific literature as the San Fernando earthquake. The 1994 shock (also in the San
Fernando Valley) is called the Northridge earthquake. This slide set compares the two earthquakes. The pictures show the same type of damage in some cases, and effects at the same site in other cases. View Captions, Thumbnails, or Images,
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Great Hanshin-Awaji (Kobe) Earthquake, January 16, 1995 |
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On the morning of January 17, 1995 (January 16 at 20:46 GMT), a major
earthquake occurred near the City of Kobe, Japan. The greatest intensity
of shaking for the 6.9 magnitude earthquake was in a narrow corridor of
two to four kilometers stretching 40 km along the coast of Osaka Bay.
The worst destruction ran along the previously undetected fault on the
coast, east of Kobe. Kobe's major businesses and port facilities, and
residences are located on this strip. This earthquake caused 5,480 deaths,
and totally destroyed more than 192,000 houses and buildings. The slide
set shows damage in the downtown region and along the waterfront. It
illustrates structural types that were vulnerable to failure. View Captions, Thumbnails, or Images,
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Behavior of Columns During Earthquakes |
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The behavior of columns in earthquakes is very important since column failures may lead to additional structural failures and result in total building collapses. For example, in the Mexico
City earthquake, the most frequent observed cause of structural failure was linked to inadequate beam-to-column and slab-to-column connections. Building configurations may cause columns to be over stressed. Columns of unequal length result in unequal load distribution and hence failure. Column construction and underlying soils also are factors in column failures. The slides in this set illustrate these and a variety of other column failure types. View Captions, Thumbnails, or Images,
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Shikotan, Kuril Islands Earthquake & Tsunami October 4, 1994 Set 1 |
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A magnitude 8.1 earthquake occurred in the southern Kurils and on northern Hokkaido on Tuesday, October 5, 1994, (October 4 at 13:23 GMT). It was a sudden event, without any short-
term precursors or foreshocks. The earthquake epicenter was located 80 km east southeast of Shikotan Island. The slides in this set show views of a newly-created landslide formation, ground
cracks, structural damage, and effects of tsunami runup on Shikotan Island. The documentation
is a scientific overview of this event, written by a member of the international team that studied
it. View Captions, Thumbnails, or Images,
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Shikotan, Kuril Islands Earthquake & Tsunami October 4, 1994 Set 2 |
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The first slide set of Shikotan, Kuril Islands focused on damage caused by the earthquake. This second set, depicts much of the tsunami damage that occurred. At Kuzhno-Kurilsk, Kunsashir Island, tsunami heights ranged from 2.5-3.0 m. In the older part of town (fronted by a gentle beach) all houses were damaged by the wave that penetrated 200-500 m inland. The photos and documentation in this set are from the publication entitled Geodynamics of Tectonosphere of the Pacific Eurasia Conjunction Zone. Russian Academy of Sciences, Far East Branch, Institute of Marine Geology and Geophysics, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, 1997. View Captions, Thumbnails, or Images,
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El Quindio, Colombia Earthquake, January 25, 1999 |
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The El Quindio earthquake was one of the most destructive natural disasters to have occurred in Colombia in recent years. Long lasting economic and social impacts will continue to be felt in Armenia and other Colombian cities close to the epicenter. The quake turned twenty cities and towns across western parts of the country into a disaster zone, and was felt as far away as Colombia's capital, Bogota, 225 kilometers (140 miles) from the epicenter. The earthquake caused approximately 700 deaths and an additional 2,500 individuals were injured. About 700 buildings were destroyed and 50,000 people were left homeless in Armenia. The three factors that were most responsible for structural damage were presence of faults, infill walls, and "soft" soils. View Captions, Thumbnails, or Images,
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Papua New Guinea Tsunami, July 17, 1998 |
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On the evening of Friday July 17, 1998, a magnitude Ms 7.1 earthquake
occurred near the northwest coast of Papua New Guinea 850 km
(510 miles) northwest of Port Moresby, the capitol of Papua New Guinea
(PNG). The earthquake, which occurred at 6:49 pm local time (08:49 GMT),
was followed by a series of three catastrophic tsunami waves that
devastated the villages of Sissano, Warupu, Arop (1 and 2) and Malol
on the north coast of PNG killing at least 2,182, injuring 1,000,
and displacing more than 10,000 people. View Captions, Thumbnails, or Images,
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Izmit (Kocaeli) Turkey Earthquake, August 17, 1999-Set 1, Coastal Effects |
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On August 17, 1999, at 3:02 am local time (00:02 GMT) a magnitude
(Mw) 7.4 earthquake occurred on the northern Anatolian fault. The
epicenter was located very close to the south shore of the Bay of
Izmit, an eastward extension of the Marmara Sea. The location of this
earthquake and its proximity to a populous region on the Bay of Izmit
contributed greatly to its damaging effects. The total estimated loss
for port facilities in the region was around $200 million (US).
Subsidence and slumping caused much of the coastal damage, but a
tsunami was generated that also caused coastal damage and deaths. View Captions, Thumbnails, or Images,
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Duzce, Turkey Earthquake, November 12, 1999 |
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The magnitude 7.2 quake occurred at 6.57 pm local time (16:57 GMT).
Duzce lies on the eastern fringe of the region hit by the August 17
quake. Some areas experienced a one-two punch from the 1999 earthquakes.
The death toll from the November quake was reported to be 260 people.
More than 1,282 were injured and at least 102 buildings were destroyed. View Captions, Thumbnails, or Images,
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Great Chile Earthquake of May 22, 1960 - Anniversary Edition |
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On May 22, 1960, a Mw 9.5 earthquake, the largest earthquake ever instrumentally recorded, occurred in southern Chile. The series of earthquakes that followed ravaged southern Chile and ruptured over a period of days a 1,000 km section of the fault, one of the longest ruptures ever reported. The number of fatalities associated with both the tsunami and the earthquake has been estimated to be between 490 and 5,700. Reportedly there were 3,000 injured, and initially there were 717 missing in Chile. The Chilean government estimated 2,000,000 people were left homeless and 58,622 houses were completely destroyed. Damage (including tsunami damage) was more than $500 million U.S. dollars. The main shock setup a series of seismic sea waves (tsunami) that not only was destructive along the coast of Chile, but which also caused numerous casualties and extensive property damage in Hawaii and Japan, and which was noticeable along shorelines throughout the Pacific Ocean area. There were several other geologic phenomena besides tsunamis associated with this event. Subsidence caused by the earthquake produced local flooding and permanently altered the shorelines of much of the area in Chile impacted by the earthquake. Landslides were common on Chilean hillsides. Cordón Caulle erupted forty-seven hours after the main shock. It is only a matter of time until Chile once again has a "world-class" earthquake whose impact, like the 1960 Chile event, will be felt around the world. View Captions, Thumbnails, or Images,
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Izmit (Kocaeli) Turkey Earthquake, August 17, 1999-Set 2, Structural Damage |
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On August 17, 1999, a magnitude Mw 7.4 earthquake occurred along the westernmost North Anatolian fault. The earthquake epicenter was 11 km southeast of the City of Izmit, in the sub-province of Kocaeli, a densely populated area in the industrial heartland of Turkey, and less than 80 km southeast of Istanbul. The earthquake damaged buildings across seven provinces for a distance of 250 km from Istanbul to Bolu. Casualties totaled 17,000 and additional thousands were missing and presumed dead. Injuries numbered 23,984 and an estimated 500,000 people were left homeless with 200,000 living on the streets. Damage estimates range from $10 billion to $40 billion. The fault crossed some of the most densely populated regions of Turkey. The affected population numbered 15 million people. The economics of the damaged region represented ten percent of the GNP of Turkey. This area of Turkey will continue to be active in a seismic sense, and appropriate steps need to be taken now to minimize the effects and fatalities of the next earthquake. View Captions, Thumbnails, or Images,
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Chi-Chi, Taiwan Earthquake, September 20, 1999 |
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On September 21, 1999, at 1:47 am local time (September 20 at 17:47 GMT),
a magnitude MW 7.6 earthquake was
felt throughout the island of Taiwan. A five county area, including the city of
Taichung, experienced the greatest number of casualties and most severe damage.
2,405 deaths and 10,718 injuries were reported. As many as 82,000 housing units
were damaged or destroyed, resulting in nearly 600,000 people being temporarily
or permanently displaced from their homes. View Captions, Thumbnails, or Images,
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Earthquake Damage, Kashmir October 8, 2005 |
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A devastating earthquake shook the western Himalaya and adjoining regions on the morning of 8th October 2005. The magnitude 7.6 earthquake killed at least 86,000 people, injured more than 69,000 and cauased extensive damage in northern Pakistan. The heaviest damage occurred in the Muzaffarabad area, Kashmir where entire villages were destroyed and at Uri where 80 percent of the town was destroyed. At least 32,335 buildings collapsed in Anantnag, Baramula, Jammu and Srinagar, Kashmir. Buildings collapsed in Abbottabad, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Islamabad, Lahore and Rawalpindi, Pakistan. At least 1,360 people killed and 6,266 injured in India. At least one person killed and some buildings collapsed in Afghanistan. Landslides and rockfalls damaged or destroyed several mountain roads and highways cutting off access to the region for several days. Landslides occurred farther north near the towns of Gilgit and Skardu, Kashmir. Liquefaction and sandblows occurred in the western part of Vale of Kashmir and near Jammu. Landslides and rockfalls also occurred in parts of Himachal Pradesh, India. At least 86,000 people killed, more than 69,000 injured and extensive damage in northern Pakistan. The heaviest damage occurred in the Muzaffarabad area, Kashmir where entire villages were destroyed and at Uri where 80 percent of the town was destroyed. At least 32,335 buildings collapsed in Anantnag, Baramula, Jammu and Srinagar, Kashmir. Buildings collapsed in Abbottabad, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Islamabad, Lahore and Rawalpindi, Pakistan. At least 1,360 people killed and 6,266 injured in India. At least one person killed and some buildings collapsed in Afghanistan. Landslides and rockfalls damaged or destroyed several mountain roads and highways cutting off access to the region for several days. Landslides occurred farther north near the towns of Gilgit and Skardu, Kashmir. Liquefaction and sandblows occurred in the western part of Vale of Kashmir and near Jammu. Landslides and rockfalls also occurred in parts of Himachal Pradesh, India. View Captions, Thumbnails, or Images,
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Earthquake Damage, May 21, 2003 Boumerdes earthquake |
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A destructive earthquake of magnitude Mw = 6.8 hit the region of Boumerdes and Algiers (Algeria) on May 21, 2003. This is among the strongest seismic events of the mediterranean region and the most important event in the capital Algiers since 1716. It caused a widespread damage in the epicentral region, claimed 2271 human lives, injured 10000, about 20000 housing units affected and left about 160000 homeless. The main shock was felt about 250 km far from the epicenter and triggered sea waves of 1-3 m in amplitude in Balearic islands (Spain). Based on field observations and press report an intensity IX (MSK scale) is attributed to the epicentral area. The main shock was followed by many aftershocks among them several are of magnitude greater than 5.0, which added panic to inhabitants. The main shock triggered ground deformation, particularly liquefaction whose features are in different forms and sizes and caused damage and collapse of roads. The focal mechanism determined by worldwide institutions yield a pure reverse faulting with a compressional axis striking NE-SW. The epicenter is located offshore about 7 km from the Boumerdes-Dellys coast. Field observations show 0.7 m of coseismic uplift of shoreline between Boudouaou and Dellys. This uplift is about a half of the extracted coseismic slip from the seismic moment. On the other hand there is no clear surface break onshore, confirming hence, that the causative active fault is offshore. However, the rupture may propagate onshore to the SE near the Boudouaou region where ground cracks showing reverse faulting are observed a long a corridor of about 1 km wide. These fissures may correspond to a diffuse coseismic deformation. View Captions, Thumbnails, or Images,
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