Archaeoseismology

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Archaeoseismology is the study of past earthquakes by analysis of archaeological sites. Such analyses reveal information about seismic events that was not historically recorded before the advent of seismometers in the late 19th century. Such data can also help to document seismic risk in areas subject to extremely destructive earthquakes. [1] In 1991, an international conference in Athens marked the beginning of modern research in the field of archaeoseismology, described as a "study of ancient earthquakes, and their social, cultural, historical and natural effects". [2]

Contents

The main idea

Earthquakes in the distant past may provide important information for a regional seismic risk assessment. We have quantitative data concerning past earthquakes only from the beginning of the 20th century (as the seismograph was invented only at the end of the 19th century), but humanity has had to deal with earthquakes throughout its existence. Thus we have extremely limited historical information about seismic risks. A methodology for reconstruction of historical earthquakes was held[ clarification needed ] during the 20th century, but with very limited results, especially for archaic[ clarification needed ] earthquakes. Thus research in archaeological sites is needed to try to identify damage and destruction from ancient earthquakes. [3]

Archaeological record

The archaeological record can carry three different types of evidence of seismic activity:

Notable events

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earthquake swarm</span> Series of localized seismic events within a short time period

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paleoseismology</span> Study of earthquakes that happened in the past

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The Galilee earthquake of 363 was a pair of severe earthquakes that shook the Galilee and nearby regions on May 18 and 19. The maximum perceived intensity for the events was estimated to be X on the European macroseismic scale. The earthquakes occurred on the portion of the Dead Sea Transform (DST) fault system between the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba.

The Rhodes earthquake of 226 BC, which affected the island of Rhodes, Greece, is famous for having toppled the large statue known as the Colossus of Rhodes. Following the earthquake, the statue lay in place for nearly eight centuries before being sold off by invaders. While 226 BC is most often cited as the date of the quake, sources variously cite 226 or 227 BC as dates when it occurred.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">262 Southwest Anatolia earthquake</span> Earthquake which devastated cities on the west and south coasts of Anatolia (262)

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">1170 Syria earthquake</span> 29 June, 1170, earthquake in Syria

The 1170 Syria earthquake was one of the largest earthquakes to hit Syria. It occurred early in the morning of 29 June 1170. It formed part of a sequence of large earthquakes that propagated southwards along the Dead Sea Transform, starting with the 1138 Aleppo earthquake, continuing with the 1157 Hama, 1170 and 1202 Syria events. The estimated magnitude is 7.7 on the moment magnitude scale, with the maximum intensity of X (Extreme) on the Mercalli intensity scale.

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.

The 1555 Kashmir earthquake occurred at around midnight in the month of Ashvin in the Hindu calendar, or September in the Gregorian calendar, although the exact day of occurrence is not known. The earthquake seriously impacted the Kashmir Valley in present-day Pakistan and northwestern India. A moment magnitude (Mw ) of 7.6 to 8.0 and Modified Mercalli intensity of XII (Extreme) has been estimated for the earthquake. Thought to be one of the most destructive in the Kashmir Valley, the earthquake caused serious widespread damage and ground effects, killing an estimated 600–60,000 individuals.

References

  1. Giner-Robles, J.L.; et al. (2012). "Archaeoseismology as an emerging science". Sequridad Y Medio Ambiente. Archived from the original on 18 March 2016. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  2. Sintubin, Manuel (2012). "Archaeoseismology". In Beer, Michael; Kougioumtzoglou, A. Ioannis; Patelli, Edoardo; Au, Siu-Kui Ιvan (eds.). Encyclopedia of Earthquake Engineering. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg. pp. 1–17. ISBN   978-3-642-36197-5.
  3. Ambraseys, N. N., 1973. Earth Sciences in Archaeology and History. Antiquity, 47 pp. 229-230
  4. Altunel, E.; et al. (2003). "Earthquake faulting at ancient Cnidus, SW Turkey". Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences. 12 (1): 137–151.
  5. Marco, S. (2008). "Recognition of earthquake-related damage in archaeological sites: examples from the Dead Sea fault zone". Tectonophysics. 453: 148–156. doi:10.1016/j.tecto.2007.04.011.
  6. Silva, P.G.; et al. (2009). "Surface and subsurface palaeoseismic records at the ancient Roman city of Baelo Claudia and the Bolonia Bay area, Cádiz (south Spain)". Geological Society of London, Special Publications: 93–121.