1970 Colombia earthquake

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1970 Colombia earthquake
Colombia relief location map.jpg
Bullseye1.png
UTC  time1970-07-31 17:08:05
ISC  event 794176
USGS-ANSS ComCat
Local dateJuly 31, 1970 (1970-07-31)
Local time12:08:05
Magnitude8.0 Mw [1]
Depth645 km (401 mi) [1]
Epicenter 1°36′S72°32′W / 1.6°S 72.53°W / -1.6; -72.53 [1]
Areas affected Colombia
Max. intensity MMI IV (Light)
Casualties1 dead, several injured [2]

The 1970 Colombia earthquake occurred in Colombia on July 31.

Contents

Details and aftermath

The shock killed one person and injured several others. Because it was a deep-focus earthquake, shaking occurred over an extensive area, including San Juan, Bogotá, Caracas, Buenos Aires, and São Paulo; it was felt as far north as Mexico City. [3] Its depth forestalled more serious casualties, [3] and there were no aftershocks. [4]

The depth of the earthquake prompted scientists in South America to install seismometer networks focused on long-period earthquakes. [3] Until the 1994 Bolivia earthquake, the 1970 Colombia earthquake was famous among seismologists as the largest deep earthquake. [5]

Analysis

A study completed by Dziewonski and Gilbert (1974) determined that the earthquake had featured isotropic compression, or an increase in density near the rupture point similar to an implosion; [6] this was released to great controversy. [5] They also claimed that the compression had been initiated 80 seconds before the actual earthquake's short-period shaking. Many studies have reached differing conclusions including a dearth of isotropic movement, and many scientists feel that resolution created errors in Dziewonski and Gilbert's findings. [7] In 1997, Russakoff, Ekstrom, and Tromp reassessed their findings utilizing more advanced equipment that factored in shear wave splitting and coupling (the measure of how tightly locked two sides of a fault or plate are) and confirmed that there was very little isotropic compression. [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

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

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The 1991 Uttarkashi earthquake occurred at 02:53:16 Indian Standard Time (UTC+05:30) on 20 October with a moment magnitude of 6.8 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). This thrust event was instrumentally recorded and occurred along the Main Central Thrust in the Uttarkashi and Gharwal regions of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. High intensity shaking resulted in the deaths of at least 768 people and the destruction of thousands of homes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Freeman Gilbert</span> American geophysicist (1931–2014)

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The 2000 Tottori earthquake occurred on 6 October 2000, at 13:30:20 local time with a moment magnitude of 6.7 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). The epicenter was near Yonago and Matsue. About $150 million in damage was caused and between 130 and 182 people were injured.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1918 Celebes Sea earthquake</span> Earthquake in the Philippines

The 1918 Celebes Sea earthquake occurred on August 15 at 12:18 UTC near the Moro Gulf coast of Mindanao. It had a magnitude of 8.3 on the moment magnitude scale and a maximum perceived intensity of X (Extreme) on the Mercalli intensity scale. It triggered a tsunami of up to 7 m in height and the combined effects of the earthquake and tsunami led to the deaths of 52 people.

The 1946 Ancash earthquake in the Andes Mountains of central Peru occurred on November 10 at 17:43 UTC. The earthquake had a surface-wave magnitude of 7.0, and achieved a maximum Mercalli intensity scale rating of XI (Extreme). About 1,400 people are thought to have died from the event.

The 1906 Manasi earthquake (玛纳斯地震), also known as the Manas earthquake occurred in the morning of December 23, 1906, at 02:21 UTC+8:00 local time or December 22, 18:21 UTC. It measured 8.0–8.3 on the moment magnitude scale and 8.3 on the surface-wave magnitude scale. The epicenter of this earthquake is located in Manas County, Xinjiang, China. An estimated 280–300 people died and another 1,000 more were injured by the earthquake.

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.

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.

On April 12, 1910, an earthquake struck with an epicenter off the northern coast of Taiwan. The earthquake measuring Mw 8.1 had a hypocenter depth of 235.0 km (146.0 mi). In Taipei and Hsinchu, 13 homes totally collapsed, two partially collapsed, and an additional 57 were damaged. At least 204 homes were destroyed or damaged in Keelung, Shenkeng and Taoyuan. Sixty people died or were injured. Shaking was felt across Taiwan and the Penghu Islands; strong shaking was felt in the northern half of the island. The intermediate-depth of the earthquake suggest it originated from within the subducting Philippine Sea Plate which undergoes subduction.

References

  1. 1 2 3 ISC (2015), ISC-GEM Global Instrumental Earthquake Catalogue (1900–2009), Version 2.0, International Seismological Centre
  2. IISEE. "IISEE Catalogue Search parameters page". Catalog of Damaging Earthquakes in the World. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 "Historic Earthquakes: Colombia 1970". United States Geological Survey. November 1, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2013.
  4. Karato, Shun'ichiro (2003). The Dynamic Structure of the Deep Earth: An Interdisciplinary Approach. Princeton University Press. p. 162. ISBN   978-0691095110.
  5. 1 2 3 Russakoff, Ekstrom, and Tromp, pg. 20423.
  6. Kennett, L.N.; Simons, R.S. (1976). "An Implosive Precursor to the Colombia Earthquake 1970 July 31". Geophysical Journal International . 44 (2): 471. Bibcode:1976GeoJI..44..471K. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-246X.1976.tb03668.x .
  7. Russakoff, Ekstrom, and Tromp, pg. 20424.

Bibliography