1882 Panama earthquake

Last updated
1882 Panama earthquake
Panama relief location map.jpg
Bullseye1.png
UTC  time1882-09-07 08:50
Local dateSeptember 7, 1882
Local time~3:50 (UTC-5)
Duration1 minute
Magnitude7.9–8.3 Ms
DepthUnknown
Epicenter 10°00′N79°00′W / 10.0°N 79.0°W / 10.0; -79.0
Areas affected Panama
Max. intensity XI (Extreme)
Tsunami3 meters
LandslidesYes
Casualties250 deaths

The 1882 Panama earthquake occurred on September 7 at around 03:50 (UTC-5). The earthquake measured a magnitude between 7.9 and 8.3 on the surface-wave magnitude scale, making it the largest earthquake recorded in Panamanian history. It struck the San Blas Islands and was strongly felt in the City of Colón as well as the capital of Panama City. The earthquake also produced a major tsunami that had a maximum run-up of 3 meters (9.84 ft.). In total, the earthquake killed 250 people, 75 of which were from the tsunami. [1] The earthquake and tsunami also halted the construction of the Panama Canal by a few months. [2]

Contents

Tectonic setting

The earthquake was an example of extreme underthrusting of the North Panamanian Deformed Belt (NPDB). [3] Panama lies within the Panamanian block which is considered to be home to a broad zone of deformation. A slow southwestern convergence in-between the Caribbean Plate and Panamanian microplate, as well as a ductile buckling deformation eastward along the boundary with the North Andes Block, The other escaping deformation along northeast to southwest strike-slip faults within the South American Plate and the back-arc thrusting transferred subduction of the Cocos Ridge along most of Costa Rica is what formed the NPDB. Active folding within the convergence of the Caribbean and Panamanian plates have long speculated that shallow subduction between both plates could also mean in intermediate-depth earthquakes delineating a found slab. [2]

There have been five recorded earthquakes over 7.0 in magnitude that have occurred in the NPDB, including this event. Other earthquakes that have occurred in this region include the 1882 earthquake near Costa Rica, the 1904 Costa RIca earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2, the 1914 Panama earthquake and the 1991 Limon earthquake in Costa Rica killing 127 people. [2]

Wadati-Benioff zone debate

There has been a long debate surrounding this speculation, which also concludes the lack of the Wadati-Benioff zone, a zone that also depicts a shallow subduction between the Caribbean and Panama plates. [4] Many have called the NPDB into question due to the lack of volcanic activity and earthquakes below a depth of 70 km within the belt. However, it has been debunked that the reason why a lack of volcanism is present is due to the slow convergence rate as well as the uncertain initiation of subduction within the slab, as well as its depth which lacks the dehydration and volcanism. Overall, the lack of identification to a fault subducting underneath northern Panama has been the key component of this debate. [2]

Earthquake

The earthquake occurred at around 3:50 a.m. local time on September 7, 1882. Multiple sources estimate it to be 7.9 on the surface-wave magnitude scale. [2] [5] The earthquake was said to have lasted about 60 seconds in the cities of Colon and Panama according to local reports. [6] The earthquake lasted so long that many buildings collapsed in a matter of seconds as well as masonry from churches and buildings within the urban areas. Residents who were asleep quickly ran outside to local parks to avoid being hit with falling glass and cement. [6] [7] Isoseismal record say that the earthquake measured an intensity of VIII–IX on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale, [3] however official intensities accounting the tsunamis and landslides associated with the quake say that the earthquake recorded intensities as high as XI (Extreme). [1] Three aftershocks were later reported with unknown magnitudes but with estimated intensities of IV. [5]

Tsunami

A tsunami was later reported, possibly triggered by a nearby landslide. Its maximum run-up of 3 and it measured 3–4 meters in height. While the tsunami mostly struck the San Blas Islands, it was also observed in gauges around Nicaragua, Colombia and Ecuador. [8]

Damage

Image of a cathedral in Panama city three years after the earthquake Catedral de Panama - 1885.jpg
Image of a cathedral in Panama city three years after the earthquake

When the earthquake occurred, glass windows and bottles shattered and cracks were visible. Multiple churches were either completely destroyed or severely damaged. On the island of San Miguel, the wall of a church collapsed as residents struggled to carry statues of saints inside. A cathedral suffered the same fate when heavy masonry blocks fell from the ceiling ornament of the entrance. Each of the arches inside the cathedral were cracked and huge stones and pieces of cement fell. A total of $40,000 were needed for the cathedral's full repair. The Malamba church's tower also fell, as did the roof of the nearby Iglesia de Santa Church. The Las Cruces church built in stone collapsed completely. [7] A bronze statue of Christopher Columbus swayed during the quake to the point that its stone pedestal moved four inches from its original position. Almost all houses in Panama City were destroyed. The town hall suffered multiple cracks and one of its facades fell, killing multiple people. The Panama-Colon railway completely derailed. The Municipal Government and Assembly hall's balcony also fell and most of the building suffered many cracks. [1] [6] In the village of Rio Indio, two freshwater lagoons dried up completely. In Gatún, another village, three ranches collapsed, killing an old woman who was asleep. [7]

A total of 250 people were killed, 75 from the San Blas Islands after the tsunami. People jumped out of windows due to shock, and most of them died. Collapse of facades and walls of houses and government buildings caused even more deaths. A report from the construction of the Panama canal stated damage and possible deaths. [1] [6]

Damage in other countries

An underwater cable in Jamaica broke. In Venezuela and Colombia, along the Atrato and Riosucio rivers, sand and mud volcanoes occurred. A thermal spring formed in Turbo, Colombia, almost flooding the entire city. [1] The earthquake in general was felt as far as the northwestern coast of South America.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Convergent boundary</span> Region of active deformation between colliding tectonic plates

A convergent boundary is an area on Earth where two or more lithospheric plates collide. One plate eventually slides beneath the other, a process known as subduction. The subduction zone can be defined by a plane where many earthquakes occur, called the Wadati–Benioff zone. These collisions happen on scales of millions to tens of millions of years and can lead to volcanism, earthquakes, orogenesis, destruction of lithosphere, and deformation. Convergent boundaries occur between oceanic-oceanic lithosphere, oceanic-continental lithosphere, and continental-continental lithosphere. The geologic features related to convergent boundaries vary depending on crust types.

Megathrust earthquakes occur at convergent plate boundaries, where one tectonic plate is forced underneath another. The earthquakes are caused by slip along the thrust fault that forms the contact between the two plates. These interplate earthquakes are the planet's most powerful, with moment magnitudes (Mw) that can exceed 9.0. Since 1900, all earthquakes of magnitude 9.0 or greater have been megathrust earthquakes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manila Trench</span> Oceanic trench in the South China Sea, west of Luzon and Mindoro in the Philippines

The Manila Trench is an oceanic trench in the Pacific Ocean, located west of the islands of Luzon and Mindoro in the Philippines. The trench reaches a depth of about 5,400 metres (17,700 ft), in contrast with the average depth of the South China Sea of about 1,500 metres (4,900 ft). It is created by subduction, in which the Sunda Plate is subducting under the Philippine Mobile Belt, producing this almost N-S trending trench. The convergent boundary is terminated to the north by the Taiwan collision zone, and to the south by the Mindoro terrane. It is an area pervaded by negative gravity anomalies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kamchatka earthquakes</span> Earthquakes in the Kamchatka Peninsula, far eastern Russia

Many major earthquakes have occurred in the region of the Kamchatka Peninsula in far eastern Russia. Events in 1737, 1923 and 1952, were megathrust earthquakes and caused tsunamis. There are many more earthquakes and tsunamis originating from the region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wadati–Benioff zone</span> Planar zone of seismicity corresponding with the down-going slab

A Wadati–Benioff zone is a planar zone of seismicity corresponding with the down-going slab in a subduction zone. Differential motion along the zone produces numerous earthquakes, the foci of which may be as deep as about 670 km (420 mi). The term was named for the two seismologists, Hugo Benioff of the California Institute of Technology and Kiyoo Wadati of the Japan Meteorological Agency, who independently discovered the zones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen Charlotte Fault</span> Active transform fault in Canada and Alaska

The Queen Charlotte Fault is an active transform fault that marks the boundary of the North American plate and the Pacific plate. It is Canada's right-lateral strike-slip equivalent to the San Andreas Fault to the south in California. The Queen Charlotte Fault forms a triple junction south with the Cascadia subduction zone and the Explorer Ridge. The Queen Charlotte Fault (QCF) forms a transpressional plate boundary, and is as active as other major transform fault systems in terms of slip rates and seismogenic potential. It sustains the highest known deformation rates among continental or continent-ocean transform systems globally, accommodating greater than 50mm/yr dextral offset. The entire approximately 900 km offshore length has ruptured in seven greater than magnitude 7 events during the last century, making the cumulative historical seismic moment release higher than any other modern transform plate boundary system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1976 Moro Gulf earthquake</span> Earthquake in the Philippines

The 1976 Moro Gulf earthquake and tsunami occurred on August 17, 1976, at 00:11 local time near the islands of Mindanao and Sulu, in the Philippines. It meaured 8.0 on the moment magnitude scale occurring at a depth of 20 km (12 mi). The earthquake was accompanied by a destructive tsunami that resulted in a majority of the estimated 5,000 to 8,000 fatalities. It was the deadliest and strongest earthquake in the Philippines in 58 years since the 1918 Celebes Sea earthquake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Panama Plate</span> Small tectonic plate in Central America

The Panama Plate is a microplate; a small tectonic plate that exists between two actively spreading ridges and moves relatively independently of its surrounding plates. The Panama plate is located between the Cocos Plate and Nazca Plate to the south and the Caribbean Plate to the north. Most of its borders are convergent boundaries including a subduction zone to the west. It consists, for the most part, of the countries of Panama and Costa Rica.

The 1906 Ecuador–Colombia earthquake occurred at 10:36:10 (UTC+5) on Wednesday January 31, 1906 off the coast of Ecuador, near Esmeraldas. The earthquake had a moment magnitude of 8.8 and triggered a destructive tsunami that caused at least 500 casualties on the coast of Colombia.

The 2002 Burica earthquake occurred on July 30 at 19:16:48 local time off the coast of Panama. It had a magnitude of Mw 6.5. The epicenter was located off the southeastern coast of Burica Peninsula, close to the Costa Rica–Panama border. Some homes collapsed and at least 11 people were reported injured, both in Panama and in Costa Rica. The strongest intensity reached VII in Puerto Armuelles, Panama. It was felt with III (Weak) to IV (Light) around San Jose, Costa Rica. Shops in the center of Puerto Armuelles suffered from loss such as fallen merchandise and broken window glass. This earthquake occurred along the Panama Fracture Zone.

The 1762 Arakan earthquake occurred at about 17:00 local time on 2 April, with an epicentre somewhere on the coast from Chittagong to Arakan in modern Myanmar. It had an estimated moment magnitude between 8.5 and 8.8 and a maximum estimated intensity of XI (Extreme). It triggered a local tsunami in the Bay of Bengal and caused at least 200 deaths. The earthquake was associated with major areas of both uplift and subsidence. It is also associated with a change in course of the Brahmaputra River to from east of Dhaka to 150 kilometres (93 mi) to the west via the Jamuna River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hikurangi Margin</span> Subduction zone off the east coast of New Zealands North Island

The Hikurangi Margin is New Zealand's largest subduction zone and fault.

The 1999 Ambrym earthquake occurred on November 26 at 00:21:17 local time with a moment magnitude of 7.4 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VII. The back arc thrust event occurred within the Vanuatu archipelago, just to the south of the volcanic island of Ambrym. Vanuatu, which was previously known as New Hebrides, is subject to volcanic and earthquake activity because it lies on an active and destructive plate boundary called the New Hebrides Subduction Zone. While the National Geophysical Data Center classified the total damage as moderate, a destructive local tsunami did result in some deaths, with at least five killed and up to 100 injured.

The 2017 Surigao earthquake occurred on February 10, 2017, at 10:03 PM (PST), with a surface wave magnitude of 6.7 off the coast of Surigao del Norte in the Philippines. According to the PHIVOLCS Earthquake Intensity Scale the earthquake was an Intensity VII (Destructive) earthquake at maximum. In the past Surigao province has been hit by a magnitude 7.2 tremor in both 1879 and 1893.

The Nemuro-Oki earthquake in scientific literature, occurred on June 17 at 12:55 local time. It struck with an epicenter just off the Nemuro Peninsula in northern Hokkaidō, Japan. It measured 7.8–7.9 on the moment magnitude scale (Mw ), 8.1 on the tsunami magnitude scale (Mt ) and 7.4 on the Japan Meteorological Agency magnitude scale (MJMA ).

On the morning of January 5, 1699, a violent earthquake rocked the then Dutch East Indies city of Batavia on the island of Java, now known as the Indonesian capital city of Jakarta. Dutch accounts of the event described the earthquake as being "so heavy and strong" and beyond comparable to other known earthquakes. This event was so large that it was felt throughout west Java, and southern Sumatra.

The 1841 Kamchatka earthquake occurred in the Pacific Ocean on May 17 at 08:00 local time. The earthquake had an epicenter off the Russian Far East's Kamchatka Peninsula. With an estimated moment magnitude of 9.0 or higher, it is one of the largest to strike the region. A large tsunami with up to 15 meters in run-up along the coast.

The 1979 Saint Elias earthquake occurred near noon local time on the 28th of February. It measured Mw 7.4–7.6. Though the maximum recorded Modified Mercalli intensity was VII, damage was minimal and there were no casualties due to the remoteness of the faulting. The epicenter lies near the Alaskan border between America and Canada.

<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 5 "NCEI Global Historical Hazard Database". www.ngdc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 2022-07-10.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Camacho, E.; Hutton, W.; Pacheco, J. F. (February 2010). "A New Look at Evidence for a Wadati-Benioff Zone and Active Convergence at the North Panama Deformed Belt". Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America . 100 (1): 6. Bibcode:2010BuSSA.100..343C. doi:10.1785/0120090204.
  3. 1 2 Mendoza, C.; Nishenko, S. (January 1989). "The north Panama earthquake of 7 September 1882: evidence for active underthrusting". Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America . 79 (4) – via USGS Publications Warehouse.
  4. ↑ "wadati-benioff zone earthquakes: Topics by Science.gov". www.science.gov. Retrieved 2022-07-10.
  5. 1 2 "Terremoto de 1882 en el Panamá de ayer". TVN (in European Spanish). 2018-06-17. Retrieved 2022-07-10.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Panamá, GESE-La Estrella de. "El gran sismo de 1882". La Estrella de Panamá (in Spanish). Retrieved 2022-07-10.
  7. 1 2 3 Camacho, Eduardo; Víquez, Vilma (January 2011). "Historical seismicity of the north Panama deformed belt". Revista Geológica de América Central (15). doi: 10.15517/rgac.v0i15.13238 .
  8. ↑ "NCEI Global Historical Hazard Database". www.ngdc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 2022-07-10.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.