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 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

The 1938 Banda Sea earthquake occurred on February 2 with an estimated magnitude of 8.5–8.6 on the moment magnitude scale and a Rossi–Forel intensity of VII. This oblique-slip event generated destructive tsunamis of up to 1.5 metres in the Banda Sea region, but there were no deaths.

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 casualties. 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.

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 area around Constantinople was affected by a major earthquake in AD 447. It caused serious damage to the recently completed Theodosian Walls in Constantinople, destroying 57 towers and large stretches of the walls. The historical records contain no mention of casualties directly associated with this earthquake, although many thousands of people were reported to have died in the aftermath due to starvation and a "noxious smell".

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 even 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 earthquake collapsed the Għajn Ħadid Tower—a coastal watchtower built around the year 1638. 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.

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The 1872 Amik (Antakya) earthquake occurred on April 3 with an epicenter within the Amik Valley in the Ottoman Empire. Earthquake had an estimated magnitude of Mw  7.0–7.2 or Ms  7.2 and maximum MSK 64 rating of XI (Catastrophic). Turkey and Syria were devastated by this earthquake, and the region lost at least 1,800 residents.

<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.

The 1941 Hyūga-nada earthquake occurred off the coast of Kyushu, Japan at 19:02 local time on November 19. The earthquake measured 8.0 Mw  and had a depth of 35 km (22 mi). A JMA seismic intensity of 5 was observed in Miyazaki City and Nobeoka City in Miyazaki Prefecture, and Hitoyoshi City in Kumamoto Prefecture. Due to the earthquake, a tsunami with a maximum wave height of 1.2 m was observed in Kyushu and Shikoku. The tsunami washed away many ships. Twenty-seven homes were destroyed and two people were killed. In Miyazaki, Ōita and Kagoshima prefectures, telephone services were disrupted. Subsidence by 8 cm (3.1 in) was recorded at Hyūga, Miyazaki. At Nobeoka, stone walls and embankments were damaged while roads cracked. It was felt as far as central Honshu.

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

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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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