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1909 Provence earthquake

Coordinates: 43°42′N 5°24′E / 43.7°N 5.4°E / 43.7; 5.4
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1909 Provence earthquake
1909 Provence earthquake is located in France
1909 Provence earthquake
UTC time1909-06-11 21:06:00
ISC event610326346
USGS-ANSSComCat
Local date11 June 1909 (1909-06-11)
Local time21:15
Magnitude6.2 Ms[1]
6.0 Mw[2]
5.5 MI[3]
Epicenter43°42′N 5°24′E / 43.7°N 5.4°E / 43.7; 5.4[1]
Areas affectedFrance, Provence
Max. intensityMMI X (Extreme)
Casualties46 dead
Vernègues after the earthquake
Street in Salon-de-Provence after the earthquake

The 1909 Provence earthquake occurred on June 11 in Provence. Measuring 6.2 on the surface wave magnitude scale, it is the largest ever recorded earthquake in metropolitan France.[4]

A total of 46 people died, another 250 were injured, and approximately 2,000 buildings were damaged.

The most damaged communes were Salon-de-Provence, Vernègues, Lambesc, Saint-Cannat and Rognes.

Fourteen people died in Rognes,[5] which was half destroyed, especially the houses on the flanks of the hill Le Foussa. People were relocated under tents on another hill (Le Devin) and near the primary school. The main shock occurred at 9:15pm. If the earthquake had happened an hour later, more people would have been in bed, and more casualties would have been recorded.[6]

The Vernègues castle and most of the houses in Vernègues were destroyed. Two people died in the village, which was later rebuilt at a lower altitude.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b NGDC. "Comments for the Significant Earthquake". Retrieved 21 January 2011.
  2. ^ Baroux, Emmanuel; Pino, Nicola Alessandro; Valensise, Gianluca; Scotti, Oona; Cushing, Marc E. (2003), "Source parameters of the 11 June 1909, Lambesc (Provence, southeastern France) earthquake: A reappraisal based on macroseismic, seismological, and geodetic observations", Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 108 (B9): 2454, Bibcode:2003JGRB..108.2454B, doi:10.1029/2002JB002348
  3. ^ Bakun, William H.; Scotti, Oona (2006), "Regional intensity attenuation models for France and the estimation of magnitude and location of historical earthquakes", Geophysical Journal International, 164 (3): 596–610, Bibcode:2006GeoJI.164..596B, doi:10.1111/j.1365-246X.2005.02808.x
  4. ^ Dominique Chardon and Olivier Bellier, "Geological boundary conditions of the 1909 Lambesc (Provence, France) earthquake : structure and evolution of the Trévaresse ridge anticline" Archived 2017-08-16 at the Wayback Machine, Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France, 2003, t. 174, no. 5, pp. 497–510
  5. ^ Webpage about the earthquake in Rognes Archived 2011-07-21 at the Wayback Machine (in French)
  6. ^ "The Provence Earthquake of 11th June 1909 (France): A New Assessment of Near Field Effects", from Seismic Hazard in Mediterranean Regions: Proceedings of the Summer School Organized in Strasbourg, France July 15 – August 1, 1986 (Springer, 1988), p. 383

Further reading

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