1900 San Narciso earthquake

Last updated
1900 Venezuelan earthquake
Venezuela relief location map (+claimed).jpg
Green pog.svg
Caracas
Bullseye1.png
UTC  time1900-10-29 09:11:00
ISC  event 16957719
USGS-ANSS n/a
Local dateOctober 29, 1900 (1900-10-29)
Local time04:30–04:45 VET
Magnitude7.6–7.7 Mw [1]
7.7–8.4 Ms
Depth15 km (9.3 mi)
Epicenter 11°00′N66°00′W / 11.0°N 66.0°W / 11.0; -66.0
Type Strike-slip
Max. intensity MMI VIII (Severe) – MMI X (Extreme) [2]
IX (ESI 2007)
Tsunami5 meters [3]
Casualties140 dead, [4] 50+ injured [5]

The 1900 Venezuelan earthquake also known as the San Narciso earthquake (Spanish : 1900 terremoto de San Narciso), occurred on October 28 at between 4:30 and 4:45 am local time. This earthquake had an epicenter off Miranda State or near the Venezuelan capital Caracas, in the Cariaco Basin. It had an estimated moment magnitude of 7.6–7.7 and a surface-wave magnitude of 7.7–8.4. It had a maximum Mercalli intensity assigned VIII–X, causing landslides and liquefaction events. Many buildings were severely damaged or collapsed during the earthquake. It is thought to be the last great earthquake of the 19th century and the largest instrumentally recorded in the republic, having been felt throughout. [6]

Contents

Earthquake

The earthquake was associated with strike-slip faulting along either the La Tortuga or San Sebastián faults. These two faults are thought to be striking east–west off the northern Venezuelan coast. A recent study in 2015, concluded that the San Sebastián Fault was the structure responsible for this earthquake. The San Sebastián Fault is submarine for most of its length. Its onshore trace is parallel to the southern flanks of the Venezuelan Coastal Range. Older studies including one in 1984 assigned the San Sebastián Fault as the source after reassessing the earthquake intensity data. Audemard in 2002 used the idea of a seismic gap around the region where the earthquake struck. The rupture extent caused by the 1900 earthquake is located between that of the 1812 and 1853 earthquakes. Ocean-bottom surveys found young seafloor deformation and fault scarps which are evidence of the 1900 rupture. A rupture length of 220 km for an Mw  7.6 and 270 km for a Mw  7.7 with an average slip depth at 15 km has been suggested. [7]

Magnitude

This earthquake is larger than the magnitude 7.5 1812 Caracas earthquake, but was far less destructive. With a magnitude of 7.7 on the surface wave and moment magnitude scales, it is the largest instrumentally recorded earthquake in Venezuela. [7] The National Geophysical Data Center catalog lists this earthquake as having a surface wave magnitude of 8.4 while a 1983 catalog placed that figure at 7.7. [2] [8] Charles Francis Richter also assigned the earthquake at Ms  8.4 in his 1958 book Elementary seismology. [9] [10] In a 1992 catalog and 2020 study, this event was assigned Mw  7.6. [11]

Aftershocks

More than 250 aftershocks were recorded in the months following the main event. The aftershocks were disruptive to the local population. An aftershock is claimed to have woken then President of Venezuela Cipriano Castro in the middle of the night. Frightened by the tremors, he leaped off one of the windows of the Yellow House and suffered a broken ankle. [12]

Impact

With an epicenter in the Caribbean Sea, the earthquake badly affected the north-central Venezuelan coast. In the central region, the earthquake resulted in shaking as high as IX on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale, covering a 3,560 km2 region around the epicenter. The seaside cities of Macuto, Guarenas and Guatire were the most severely affected by the earthquake. The Los Roques archipelago in the Caribbean Sea suffered heavy impact, reportedly having the highest number of victims. Twenty-five people were killed in Guarenas. [2]

Large landslides and liquefactions took place in Anzoátegui, Aragua, Carabobo, Distrito Capital, Miranda and Vargas. The heavily populated localities that were affected include Barcelona, Onoto and Carenero. Some slight damage was reported in San Antonio de Los Altos, Paparo, Panaquire, Guarenas, Capaya, La Tortuga Island, Los Roques archipelago, Güigüe, San Diego, Clarines, Puerto Cabello and Caucagua. [13]

Iglesia de San Francisco, a church in Caracas, was severely damaged. Another church in Naiguatá was completely destroyed. In Macuto, landslides buried or destroyed railway lines serving the cities Caracas and La Guaira. Guatire saw 237 homes, a parish church, government house, and court offices damaged or collapsed. [12] In Guarenas, some 72 homes toppled. [14]

The total death toll from the earthquake is estimated to be over 140. [4] At least 50 people were injured.

Effects on landscape and hydrological features

At a seaside port in Barcelona named El Rincón, built on alluvium deposits from the Neverí River, many large cracks opened in the ground. Some cracks were longer than 300 meters. A 400 m2 area of alluvium in the city subsided significantly due to lateral spreading as a result of ground failure. Field observations also noted that an opening of the Neverí River was narrowed by more than two meters, while its water level rose. The water level in a number of saline wells rose substantially by several meters and began sloshing violently. [13]

Along the Unare River in Anzoátegui, portions of its bank slumped into the water. Large and deep fissures opened, ejecting mud and water. Seiches formed along the river, causing water to breach the channel by seven meters. A man was caught in the waves when he was taking a bath but managed to escape. [13]

In Carenero, Miranda, the ground sprouted black water that smelled of sulfur. Liquefaction caused several homes and other buildings to sink partially. [13]

Hot springs located near San Diego, Anzoátegui dired up some time after the earthquake. [13]

Residents living around Lake Tacarigua also described violent seiches in the lake as well as loud noises compared to that of a sea. They added that large flames and fire shot out of the ground near the lake shores. [13]

A 100-meter wide landslide buried and sealed off a section of the Caracas-La Guaira highway between Guaracarumbo and Ojo de Agua. [13]

Tsunami

A tsunami flooded the low-lying near shore zones of northern Venezuela. Waves swept into the Los Roques archipelago and north-central Venezuelan coasts. It manifested in the form of tidal bores at the mouth of the Neverí River which resulted in the rise in water level. The tsunami is estimated to be 1–meter high. [13] Witnesses at the coast at the mouth of the Guapo River in Puerto Tuy, Miranda reported seeing large waves up to 10 meters high, although this claim is disputed. Because the earthquake struck in complete darkness, before sunrise, it is unlikely the eyewitnesses could have a clear view of the wave. In addition, it is nearly impossible for them to survive being struck by the 10-meter tsunami. The small village of Paparo was partially submerged by the waves. A better estimate of the maximum tsunami wave height is 5 meters at Barlovento. [3] The tsunami may have been generated by a submarine landslide or significant vertical slip mechanism associated with faulting.

Legacy

The earthquake of 1900 was a catalyst in expanding research in seismology in Venezuela due to its size and being one of the last great historical earthquakes at the time. The first seismic instruments were brought into the country in the aftermath of the earthquake and installed at the Cagigal Observatory in November 1900 to early 1901. [12] [15]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earthquake</span> Sudden movement of the Earths crust

An earthquake – also called a quake, tremor, or temblor – is the shaking of the Earth's surface resulting from a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from those so weak they cannot be felt, to those violent enough to propel objects and people into the air, damage critical infrastructure, and wreak destruction across entire cities. The seismic activity of an area is the frequency, type, and size of earthquakes experienced over a particular time. The seismicity at a particular location in the Earth is the average rate of seismic energy release per unit volume.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007 Aysén Fjord earthquakes</span> Earthquake and tsunami in Chile

The 2007 Aysén Fjord earthquakes occurred in Aisén Fjord, Chile from January 22 – April 22. The biggest occurred at 1:53 p.m. on April 21 and reached a felt intensity of VII on the Mercalli intensity scale. On the moment magnitude scale, the earthquake reached a magnitude of 6.2. Ten people disappeared due to a tsunami caused by a landslide, according to ONEMI, but three bodies were found on April 22 by the Chilean Navy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1812 Caracas earthquake</span> Magnitude 7.7 earthquake in Venezuela

The 1812 Caracas earthquake took place in Venezuela on March 26 at 4:37 p.m. It measured 7.7 on the Richter magnitude scale. It caused extensive damage in Caracas, La Guaira, Barquisimeto, San Felipe, and Mérida. An estimated 15,000–20,000 people perished as a result, in addition to incalculable material damage.

The 1912 Mürefte earthquake occurred at 03:29 local time on 9 August. It had an estimated magnitude of 7.4 Mw and a maximum intensity of X (Extreme) on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale, causing from 216 to 3,000 casualties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Pichilemu earthquakes</span> 6.9 and 7.0 MW intraplate earthquakes 2010 in Chile

The 2010 Pichilemu earthquakes, also known as the Libertador O'Higgins earthquakes, were a pair of intraplate earthquakes measuring 6.9 and 7.0 Mw that struck Chile's O'Higgins Region on 11 March 2010 about 16 minutes apart. The earthquakes were centred 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) northwest of the city of Pichilemu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tsunami earthquake</span> Type of earthquake which triggers a tsunami of far-larger magnitude

In seismology, a tsunami earthquake is an earthquake which triggers a tsunami of significantly greater magnitude, as measured by shorter-period seismic waves. The term was introduced by Japanese seismologist Hiroo Kanamori in 1972. Such events are a result of relatively slow rupture velocities. They are particularly dangerous as a large tsunami may arrive at a coastline with little or no warning.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earthquake environmental effects</span>

Earthquake environmental effects are the effects caused by an earthquake, including surface faulting, tsunamis, soil liquefactions, ground resonance, landslides and ground failure, either directly linked to the earthquake source or provoked by the ground shaking. These are common features produced both in the near and far fields, routinely recorded and surveyed in recent events, very often remembered in historical accounts and preserved in the stratigraphic record. Both surface deformation and faulting and shaking-related geological effects not only leave permanent imprints in the environment, but also dramatically affect human structures. Moreover, underwater fault ruptures and seismically-triggered landslides can generate tsunami waves.

The 1992 Murindó earthquake occurred on October 18 at 15:11 UTC with an epicenter in the Department of Chocó, northern Colombia. The shallow magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck northwest of the town of Murindó, killing ten and injured more than a hundred. Thirty-three municipalities were severely damaged.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Hawaii earthquake</span> 6.9-magnitude earthquake in Hawaii

On May 4, 2018, an earthquake with a magnitude of Mw 6.9 struck Hawaii island in the Hawaii archipelago at around 12:33 p.m. local time. The earthquake's epicenter was near the south flank of Kīlauea, which has been the site of seismic and volcanic activity since late April of that year. According to the United States Geological Survey the quake was related to the new lava outbreaks at the volcano, and it resulted in the Hilina Slump moving about two feet. It was the largest earthquake to affect Hawaii since the 1975 earthquake, which affected the same region, killing two people and injuring another 28.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Valparaíso earthquake</span> Earthquake in Chile

The Valparaíso earthquake of April 2017 was a strong earthquake that shook the cities of Valparaíso and Santiago on Monday, April 24, 2017, at 18:38 local time. Its epicenter was located off the coast of the Valparaíso Region and had a magnitude of 6.9 Mw. On the scale of Mercalli, the earthquake reached an intensity of VII.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">August 2018 Venezuela earthquake</span> Earthquake affecting South America and the Caribbean

On August 21, 2018, a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck just off the northern coast of Venezuela, near Cariaco, Sucre. The earthquake is thought to be the largest in the country since the 1900 San Narciso earthquake. It prompted evacuations in Caracas, and caused shaking in Colombia, Guyana, Brazil, Grenada, Dominica, Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago, the last of which also suffered damage and brief phone and power outages from about 100 miles away. A tsunami was not expected, though the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center warned of wave potential, and an alert had been broadcast for tsunami waves along coastlines. In terms of damage, concrete fell from the unfinished Tower of David skyscraper, blocking the sidewalk and closing traffic.

The 1912 Maymyo earthquake or Burma earthquake struck Burma on the morning of May 23, with an epicentre near Taunggyi and Pyin Oo Lwin in Shan State. The earthquake was initially calculated at 8.0 on the surface wave magnitude scale (Ms ) by Beno Gutenberg and Charles Francis Richter, and described by them as being one of the most remarkable seismic events in the early 1900s. Recent re-evaluation of the earthquake, however, have revised the magnitude to 7.6–7.9. It was preceded by two foreshocks on May 18 and 21 with respective intensities V and VII on the Rossi–Forel scale, while the mainshock was assigned IX. Shaking was felt throughout most of Burma, parts of Siam and Yunnan; an area covering approximately 375,000 square miles. It was one of the largest earthquakes in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1867 Virgin Islands earthquake and tsunami</span> Earthquake and tsunami in the Caribbean

The 1867 Virgin Islands earthquake and tsunami occurred on November 18, at 14.45 in the Anegada Passage about 20 km southwest of Saint Thomas, Danish West Indies. The Ms  7.5 earthquake came just 20 days after the devastating San Narciso Hurricane in the same region. Tsunamis from this earthquake were some of the highest ever recorded in the Lesser Antilles. Wave heights exceeded 10 m (33 ft) in some islands in the Lesser Antilles. The earthquake and tsunami resulted in no more than 50 fatalities, although hundreds of casualties were reported.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 Craig, Alaska earthquake</span> Earthquake in Alaska and British Columbia

The 2013 Craig, Alaska earthquake struck on January 5, at 12:58 am (UTC–7) near the city of Craig and Hydaburg, on Prince of Wales Island. The Mw 7.5 earthquake came nearly three months after an Mw  7.8 quake struck Haida Gwaii on October 28, in 2012. The quake prompted a regional tsunami warning to British Columbia and Alaska, but it was later cancelled. Due to the remote location of the quake, there were no reports of casualties or damage.

On April 13, 1923 at 15:31 UTC, an earthquake occurred off the northern coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula in the USSR, present-day Russia. The earthquake had a surface-wave magnitude (Ms ) of 6.8–7.3 and an estimated moment magnitude (Mw ) of 7.0–8.2. This event came just two months after a slightly larger earthquake with an epicenter struck south of the April event. Both earthquakes were tsunamigenic although the latter generated wave heights far exceeding that of the one in February. After two foreshocks of "moderate force", the main event caused considerable damage. Most of the 36 casualties were the result of the tsunami inundation rather than the earthquake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Chignik earthquake</span> 7th largest earthquake in the US

An earthquake occurred off the coast of the Alaska Peninsula on July 28, 2021, at 10:15 p.m. local time. The large megathrust earthquake had a moment magnitude of 8.2 according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). A tsunami warning was issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) but later cancelled. The mainshock was followed by a number of aftershocks, including three that were of magnitude 5.9, 6.1 and 6.9 respectively.

The 1979 Petatlán earthquake, also known as the IBERO earthquake occurred on March 14 at 05:07 local time in the Mexican state of Guerrero. The earthquake had a surface-wave magnitude of Ms  7.6 or moment magnitude of Mw  7.4 and maximum Modified Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). The epicenter, onshore, was located 12 km south southeast of Vallecitos de Zaragoza.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1929 Cumaná earthquake</span> Earthquake in Venezuela

The 1929 Cumaná earthquake occurred on January 17 at 07:45:44 local time, affecting Venezuela. Measuring 6.7 on the moment magnitude scale (Mw ) at a depth of 10 km (6.2 mi), the earthquake severely damaged the city of Cumaná in Sucre state. The earthquake had an epicenter located offshore in the Caribbean Sea, and had a maximum Modified Mercalli intensity scale rating of IX (Violent). It lasted 30 seconds, causing major damage and a tsunami. More than 200 people were killed although the finalized death toll is unknown; possibly 1,600.

The 1912 Acambay earthquake struck the State of Mexico on 19 November at 07:55 local time. It had a moment magnitude of 6.7–6.9 Mw  and an epicenter near the town of Acambay, 80 km (50 mi) northwest of Mexico City. Up to 161 people died and there was severe destruction. It is regarded as one of the most important earthquakes in Mexico's seismological history, having been widely studied.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Michoacán earthquake</span> 2022 earthquake in Mexico

On 19 September 2022, a moment magnitude 7.6-7.7 earthquake struck between the Mexican states of Michoacán and Colima at 13:05:06 local time. The earthquake had a depth of 26.9 km (16.7 mi), resulting in a maximum intensity of VIII (Severe) on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale. The USGS reported the epicentre was 35 km (22 mi) southwest of the town of Aquila. Two people were killed and at least 35 others were injured across several states. A magnitude 6.8 aftershock struck on 22 September, causing three more deaths.

References

  1. ↑ Vásquez, R; Guzmán, A L; Rodríguez, J A; Colón, S; Audemard, F; Cabas, Mauricio (2020). "Magnitude estimation of the 1900 earthquake in Venezuela based on its coseismic effects". IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering. 872 (1): 012034. Bibcode:2020MS&E..872a2034V. doi:10.1088/1757-899X/872/1/012034. hdl: 11323/6540 . ISSN   1757-899X. S2CID   222118329 . Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 "Significant Earthquake Information". NCEI/WDS Global Significant Earthquake Database. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  3. 1 2 Franck Albert Audemard M.; Alejandra F. Leal Guzman (2017). "Reliability of first-hand accounts on the study of historical tsunamis in northeastern Venezuela (southeastern Caribbean Sea)". Annals of Geophysics. 60 (6). doi: 10.4401/ag-7437 . Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  4. 1 2 Ferrer D., Cluff L. (1969). "Caracas, Venezuela earthquake of July 29, 1967" (PDF). Soil Engineering and Engineering Geology Observations. Proceedings of the 4th world conference on earthquake engineering. Santiago, Chile. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  5. ↑ José Grases; Arnaldo Gutiérrez; Rafael Salas J. "LA INGENIERÍA SISMO-RESISTENTE" (PDF). p. 3. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  6. ↑ "Tragedia de San Narciso. Terremoto de Caracas ocurrido en el año de 1900" (in Spanish). Radiorescate. 14 February 2019. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  7. 1 2 Colón, S.; Audemard, F.A.; Beck, C.; Avila, J.; Padrón, C.; De Batist, M.; Paolini, M.; Leal, A.F.; Van Welden, A. (2015). "The 1900 Mw 7.6 earthquake offshore north–central Venezuela: Is La Tortuga or San Sebastián the source fault?". Marine and Petroleum Geology. 67. Elsevier BV: 498–511. Bibcode:2015MarPG..67..498C. doi:10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2015.06.005. ISSN   0264-8172.
  8. ↑ K. Abe, S. Noguchi (1983). "Revision of magnitudes of large shallow earthquakes, 1897–1912". Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors. 33 (1): 1–11. Bibcode:1983PEPI...33....1A. doi:10.1016/0031-9201(83)90002-X . Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  9. ↑ Charles Francis Richter (1958). Elementary seismology (1 ed.). WH Freeman & Co. p. 768.
  10. ↑ Suárez, Gerardo; Nábělek, John (10 October 1990). "The 1967 Caracas Earthquake: Fault geometry, direction of rupture propagation and seismotectonic implications". Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth. 95 (B11): 17459–17474. Bibcode:1990JGR....9517459S. doi:10.1029/JB095iB11p17459.
  11. ↑ J.F. Pacheco, L.R. Sykes (1992). "Seismic moment catalog of large shallow earthquakes, 1900 to 1989". Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America. 82 (3): 1306–1349. Bibcode:1992BuSSA..82.1306P. doi:10.1785/BSSA0820031306. S2CID   132108756 . Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  12. 1 2 3 "El movimiento telúrico tuvo una magnitud de 8,0". funvisis.gob.ve (in Spanish). Venezuelan Foundation for Seismological Research. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Colón, Sirel; Leal, Alejandra; Audemard, Franck; Vásquez, Raquel; Rodríguez, José Antonio (2019). "Análisis macrosísmico del sismo MW~7,6 de san narciso del 29 de octubre de 1900, aplicando la escala medio–ambiental de intensidad sísmica ESI 2007" [Macroseismic analysis of the earthquake MW ~ 7.6 in San Narciso of October 29, 1900, applying the environmental scale of seismic intensity ESI 2007]. Journal of the Faculty of Engineering (in Spanish). 34 (1). ISSN   2443-4477 . Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  14. ↑ Liendo, Daniel (2019). "A 119 años del Sismo de San Narciso el Gobierno Bolivariano promueve una cultura sísmica en comunidades y escuelas". minci.gob.ve (in Spanish). Ministry of Communication and Information. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  15. ↑ R. Altez; J. Grases (2004). "A brief history of a restless vision: seismological research in Venezuela". Annals of Geophysics. 47 (2–3). doi: 10.4401/ag-3312 . Retrieved 13 June 2021.
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.