1986 San Salvador earthquake

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1986 San Salvador earthquake
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San Salvador
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1986 San Salvador earthquake (Central America)
UTC  time1986-10-10 17:49:26
ISC  event 483349
USGS-ANSS ComCat
Local date10 October 1986 (1986-10-10)
Local time11:49:26
Magnitude5.7 Mw [1]
Depth10 km (6.2 mi) [1]
Epicenter 13°45′N89°14′W / 13.75°N 89.24°W / 13.75; -89.24 [1]
Type Strike-slip [2]
Areas affected El Salvador
Honduras
Guatemala
Max. intensity MMI IX (Violent) [3]
Casualties1,000–1,500 fatalities [2]
10,000–20,000 injuries [2]

The 1986 San Salvador earthquake occurred at 11:49:26 local time on 10 October 1986 with a moment magnitude of 5.7 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). The shock caused considerable damage to El Salvador's capital city of San Salvador and surrounding areas, including neighboring Honduras and Guatemala. [4]

Contents

Earthquake

Damage caused by the earthquake Duenas86.jpg
Damage caused by the earthquake

The 1986 San Salvador earthquake occurred within the upper crust of the Caribbean plate along the Central America Volcanic Arc. It was a result of left-lateral strike slip faulting perpendicular to the Central American volcanic chain. [5] The earthquake also caused landslides located in the San Salvador area. [6]

Damage and response

The earthquake caused between 1,000 and 1,500 deaths, 10,000 injuries, and left 200,000 homeless. [4] Shallow shocks directly under San Salvador caused the destruction of multiple structures. San Salvador's children's hospital, a marketplace, many restaurants and buildings, and shanty towns were significantly damaged or destroyed. [6]

In response, President José Napoleón Duarte established the Earthquake Reconstruction Committee tasked not only with rebuilding but also with modernizing El Salvador's capital. To lead the committee, Duarte tapped noted international urban planner and architect Jesús Permuy, who Duarte also asked to remain for another year to train Salvadoran officials on modern urban planning methods and principles following the conclusion of the Reconstruction Committee. [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. 1 2 3 ISC (19 January 2015), ISC-GEM Global Instrumental Earthquake Catalogue (1900–2009), Version 2.0, International Seismological Centre
  2. 1 2 3 PAGER-CAT Earthquake Catalog, Version 2008_06.1, United States Geological Survey, 4 September 2009
  3. Bertero, V. V. (4 February 1988). "Evolving Earthquake Hazard Mitigation Practices : Implications from Recent Chile, Mexico, and El Salvador Earthquakes, 1988 Annual Meeting (EERI)". The San Salvador earthquake of October 19, 1986. Mesa, Arizona: Earthquake Engineering Research Institute. p. 5. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
  4. 1 2 "Significant earthquakes in 1986". Archived from the original on 27 February 2009.
  5. White, Randall A.; Harlow, David H.; Alvarez, Salvador (1 August 1987). "The San Salvador Earthquake of October 10, 1986—Seismological Aspects and Other Recent Local Seismicity". Earthquake Spectra. 3 (3): 419–434. Bibcode:1987EarSp...3..419W. doi:10.1193/1.1585439. ISSN   8755-2930. S2CID   129240737.
  6. 1 2 "El Salvador Earthquake October 1986". International Rescue Corps . Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  7. Olivera, Daisy (29 September 2018). "Ileana Ros-Lehtinen rinde homenaje al arquitecto y líder cubano, Jesús Permuy". El Nuevo Herald (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 28 September 2018. Retrieved 1 July 2020.

Further reading