1303 Crete earthquake

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1303 Crete earthquake
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Local date8 August 1303 (1303-08-08)
Local timeAt about dawn
Magnitude8.0 (est.) [1]
Epicenter 35°00′N27°00′E / 35.0°N 27.0°E / 35.0; 27.0
Areas affected Greece, Rhodes, Egypt
Max. intensity MMI IX (Violent) [2]
TsunamiYes
CasualtiesMany thousands, [3] including about 4,000 in Crete [2]

The 1303 Crete earthquake occurred at about dawn on 8 August. It had an estimated magnitude of about 8, a maximum intensity of IX (Violent) on the Mercalli intensity scale, and triggered a major tsunami that caused severe damage and loss of life on Crete and at Alexandria. It badly damaged the Lighthouse of Alexandria.

Contents

Tectonic setting

The Hellenic arc, the most likely location for this earthquake, is an arcuate tectonic feature related to the subduction of the African plate beneath the Aegean Sea plate. It is one of the most active seismic zones in western Eurasia and has a history of large earthquakes that also affect Egypt. [3]

Damage

The earthquake and the tsunami are recorded as having a devastating impact on Heraklion, Crete. [4] Detailed information is available from reports made by representatives from Heraklion (then Candia) to the controlling Venetian administration, written on the day of the earthquake and twenty days later. They describe the extent of damage to the main public buildings of Candia and castles over the whole island. [5]

The reports mention that most of the victims were women and children, without giving numbers. [5] There was massive flooding at Alexandria. Many ships were destroyed, some of them carried up to 2 miles (3.2 km) inland. The port city of Acre, on the Levantine coast, was also affected. Buildings were destroyed and people swept to their deaths. [1]

In Egypt the earthquake caused severe damage in Cairo, dislodging much of the Great Pyramid's white limestone casing [6] and toppling minarets on many mosques. In Alexandria the city walls were mostly destroyed. Most notably, the Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the seven Wonders of the World, was badly damaged. [1] [7] Homes in Alexandria collapsed, killing many people. [8] According to Alexis Perrey, the earthquake was felt on the entire Adriatic coast, up to Venice (about 1,600 km or 1,000 mi from Heraklion). [9]

Characteristics

Earthquake

Although the precise location of the epicenter is uncertain, it is generally agreed that the earthquake ruptured the eastern segment of the Hellenic arc somewhere between Crete and Rhodes. [1] [3] [5] [10] The earthquake caused damage over a wide area including Crete, the Peloponnese, Rhodes, Cairo, Acre, Damascus, Antioch, and Cyprus and was felt as far away as Constantinople (1,000 km; 620 mi) and possibly Tunis (1,500 km; 930 mi). The exact magnitude is unknown but is estimated to have been about 8.0. [10]

Tsunami

Modelling of the tsunami predicts a maximum 9 m run-up at Alexandria, with about a 40-minute delay from the time of the earthquake to the arrival of the first wave in Egypt. [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lists of earthquakes</span>

Earthquakes are caused by movements within the Earth's crust and uppermost mantle. They range from weak events detectable only by seismometers, to sudden and violent events lasting many minutes which have caused some of the greatest disasters in human history. Below, earthquakes are listed by period, region or country, year, magnitude, cost, fatalities, and number of scientific studies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1703 Genroku earthquake</span> Earthquake near Edo in the Kantō region, Japan

The 1703 Genroku earthquake occurred at 02:00 local time on December 31. The epicenter was near Edo, the forerunner of present-day Tokyo, in the southern part of the Kantō region, Japan. An estimated 2,300 people were killed by the destruction and subsequent fires. The earthquake triggered a major tsunami which caused many additional casualties, giving a total death toll of at least 5,233, possibly up to 200,000. Genroku is a Japanese era spanning from 1688 through 1704.

The 365 Crete earthquake occurred at about sunrise on 21 July 365 in the Eastern Mediterranean, with an assumed epicentre near Crete. Geologists today estimate the undersea earthquake to have been a moment magnitude 8.5 or higher. It caused widespread destruction in the central and southern Diocese of Macedonia, Africa Proconsularis, Egypt, Cyprus, Sicily, and Hispania (Spain). On Crete, nearly all towns were destroyed.

The 1481 Rhodes earthquake occurred at 3:00 in the morning on 3 May. It triggered a small tsunami, which caused local flooding. There were an estimated 30,000 fatalities. It was the largest of a series of earthquakes that affected Rhodes, starting on 15 March 1481, continuing until January 1482.

The 1810 Crete earthquake occurred at 22:15 on 16 February. It caused great destruction in Heraklion and some damage from Malta to northern Egypt, and was felt from central Italy to Syria. 300 fatalities were reported from Candia (Heraklion).

The 1877 Iquique earthquake occurred at 21:16 local time on 9 May. It had a magnitude of 8.5 on the surface-wave magnitude scale. Other estimates of its magnitude have been as high as 8.9 Mw and 9.0 Mt. It had a maximum intensity of XI (Extreme) on the Mercalli intensity scale and triggered a devastating tsunami. A total of 2,385 people died, mainly in Fiji from the tsunami.

The 1901 Black Sea earthquakewas a 7.2 magnitude earthquake, the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in the Black Sea. The earthquake epicenter was located in the east of Cape Kaliakra, 30 kilometres (19 mi) off northeast coast of Bulgaria. The mainshock occurred at a depth of 15 km (9.3 mi) and generated a 4–5-metre (13–16 ft) high tsunami that devastated the coastal areas of Romania and Bulgaria. In Romania, the earthquake was felt not only throughout Northern Dobruja, but also in Oltenia and Muntenia, and even in southern Moldova.

The 1955 Alexandria earthquake occurred on September 12 at 06:09 UTC. The epicenter was located in the eastern Mediterranean, offshore of Alexandria, Egypt. The earthquake had a magnitude of Ms 6.3.

The 1886 Peloponnese earthquake occurred at 23:27 local time on 27 August. It had an estimated magnitude between 6.8 and 7.3 on the moment magnitude scale and a maximum felt intensity of X (Extreme) on the Mercalli intensity scale. It caused extensive damage in Messenia, with the towns of Filiatra and Marathos both severely affected. Between 326 and 600 people were killed. It was felt over a wide area from the Khedivate of Egypt to Malta and possibly as far away as Bern and Marseille.

The 1839 Martinique earthquake occurred on the morning of January 11 with an estimated magnitude of 7.8 Ms , the largest in the Lesser Antilles since 1690. The maximum intensity of this earthquake was assigned IX on both the Mercalli and MSK intensity scales, which left the cities of Saint-Pierre and Fort Royal almost completely destroyed. Estimation on the number of human losses varies from 390 to 4,000 making this one of the deadliest earthquakes in the Caribbean.

The 1856 Heraklion earthquake, also known as the Crete earthquake or Rhodes earthquake, occurred on the morning of October 12 at 02:45 am local time. This extremely catastrophic earthquake had an estimated magnitude of 7.7 to 8.3 at a depth of approximately 61 to 100 km. The earthquake was felt over a very wide area extending from Sicily, Italy to the Levant and North Africa. On the Greek island of Crete, the effects of the earthquake were cataclysmic, over 500 bodies were recovered in the city of Heraklion. Shockwaves from the earthquake were felt intensely, covering all of the Ottoman Empire; present-day Turkey, Cyprus and the Middle East where damage and human losses were reported. In Malta, the Għajn Ħadid Tower—a coastal watchtower built around the year 1638—was severely damaged in the earthquake, when its upper floor collapsed. In Cairo, Egypt, the earthquake destroyed buildings, created seiches in canals, and killed several people. Off the Egyptian and Italian coasts, sailors reported feeling a seaquake.

The 2021 Lasithi earthquake was a magnitude 6.4 Mw earthquake with a maximum intensity of VIII (Severe) on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale which occurred on 12 October 2021, 12:24 (UTC+3:30) off the island of Crete. The quake was also felt at low intensity as far as Cairo and Istanbul.

During April 1819, the area around Copiapó in northern Chile was struck by a sequence of earthquakes over a period of several days. The largest of these earthquakes occurred on 11 April at about 15:00 local time, with an estimated magnitude of Mw 8.5. The other two events, on 3 April between 08:00 and 09:00 local time and on 4 April at 16:00 local time, are interpreted as foreshocks to the mainshock on 11 April. The mainshock triggered a tsunami that affected 800 km of coastline and was also recorded at Hawaii. The city of Copiapó was devastated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1867 Java earthquake</span> Earthquake in the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia)

The 1867 Central Java earthquake occurred on June 10 at between 04:20 and 04:30 local time. It struck off the southern coast of the Indonesian island with an estimated moment magnitude of 7.8 (Mw ). Widespread devastation occurred in Central Java, where as many as 700 people were killed. The intermediate-depth intraslab earthquake did not cause a tsunami.

The 1979 Yapen earthquake occurred on September 12 at 05:17:51 UTC. It had an epicenter near the coast of Yapen Island in Irian Jaya, Indonesia. Measuring 7.5 on the moment magnitude scale and having a depth of 20 km (12 mi), it caused severe damage on the island. At least 115 were killed due to shaking and a moderate tsunami.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1833 Shōnai earthquake</span> Earthquake in Japan

The Shōnai offshore earthquake occurred at around 14:00 on December 7, 1833. It struck with an epicenter in the Sea of Japan, off the coast of Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. A tsunami was triggered by the estimated MJMA  7.5–7.7 earthquake. One hundred and fifty people were killed and there was severe damage in the prefecture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1940 Shakotan earthquake</span> Earthquake in Japan

The 1940 Shakotan earthquake occurred on August 2 at 00:08:22 JST with a moment magnitude (Mw ) of 7.5 and maximum JMA seismic intensity of Shindo 4. The shock had an epicenter off the coast of Hokkaido, Japan. Damage from the shock was comparatively light, but the accomanying tsunami was destructive. The tsunami caused 10 deaths and 24 injuries on Hokkaido, and destroyed homes and boats across the Sea of Japan. The highest tsunami waves were recorded at the coast of Russia while along the coast of Hokkaido, waves were about 2 m.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Papadopolous, G. A.; Daskalaki, E.; Fokaefs, A.; N., Giraleas (2007). "Tsunami hazards in the Eastern Mediterranean: strong earthquakes and tsunamis in the East Hellenic Arc and Trench system" (PDF). Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences. 7 (1): 57–64. Bibcode:2007NHESS...7...57P. doi: 10.5194/nhess-7-57-2007 .
  2. 1 2 National Geophysical Data Center/ World Data Service (NGDC/WDS): NCEI/WDS Global Significant Earthquake Database. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (1972), Significant Earthquake Information, NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K , retrieved 30 March 2022
  3. 1 2 3 4 Hamouda, A. Z. (2006). "Numerical computations of 1303 tsunamigenic propagation towards Alexandria, Egyptian Coast". Journal of African Earth Sciences. 44 (1): 37–44. Bibcode:2006JAfES..44...37H. doi:10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2005.11.005.
  4. ↑ Tsapanos, T. M. (2003). "A seismic hazard scenario for the main cities of Crete island, Greece". Geophysical Journal International . 153 (2): 403–408. Bibcode:2003GeoJI.153..403T. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-246X.2003.01874.x .
  5. 1 2 3 Guidoboni, E.; Comastri, A. (1997). "The large earthquake of 8 August 1303 in Crete: seismic scenario and tsunami in the Mediterranean area". Journal of Seismology. 1 (1): 55–72. Bibcode:1997JSeis...1...55G. doi:10.1023/A:1009737632542. S2CID   126898422.
  6. ↑ Darwish, M. (2018). "Variation of the Structural Dynamic Characteristics of the Great Pyramid with the Limestone Properties". In Rodrigues, H.; Elnashai, A.; Calvi, G.M. (eds.). Facing the Challenges in Structural Engineering. Sustainable Civil Infrastructures. Springer. pp. 1–11. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-61914-9_1. ISBN   978-3-319-61914-9.
  7. ↑ Abdelnaby, Adel E.; Elnashai, Amr S. (October 2013). "Integrity assessment of the Pharos of Alexandria during the 1303 CE earthquake". Engineering Failure Analysis. 33: 119–138. doi:10.1016/j.engfailanal.2013.04.013.
  8. ↑ Badawy, Ahmed (1999). "Historical seismicity of Egypt". Acta Geodaetica et Geophysica Hungarica. 34 (1): 119–135. doi:10.1007/BF03325564. S2CID   131467239.
  9. ↑ Kišpatić, Mijo (1891). Potresi u Hrvatskoj [Earthquakes in Croatia] (in Croatian). Zagreb: Tisak Dioničke tiskare. p. 14. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  10. 1 2 Papazachos, B. C. (1996). "Large seismic faults in the Hellenic arc" (PDF). Annali di Geofisica. 39 (5): 891–903.
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