1952 Severo-Kurilsk earthquake
 The site of Severo-Kurilsk before the 1952 tsunami, seen from a helicopter in 2006. The site of the modern town, rebuilt at higher level, is not visible. | |
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| UTC time | 1952-11-04 16:58:30 |
|---|---|
| ISC event | 893648 |
| USGS-ANSS | ComCat |
| Local date | November 5, 1952 |
| Local time | 04:58:30[citation needed] |
| Magnitude | 9.0 Mw [1] |
| Depth | 21.6 km (13 mi) |
| Epicenter | 52°18′N 161°00′E / 52.3°N 161.0°E [1] |
| Max. intensity | XI (Extreme) [1] |
| Tsunami | 18 m (59 ft) [2] |
| Casualties | 2,336 dead[citation needed] |
The 1952 Severo-Kurilsk earthquake struck off the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula. The 9.0 Mw earthquake triggered a major tsunami that hit Severo-Kurilsk, Kuril Islands, Sakhalin Oblast, Russian SFSR, USSR, on 4 November 1952 at about 5 a.m.[citation needed] This led to the destruction of many settlements in Sakhalin Oblast and Kamchatka Oblast, while the main impact struck the town of Severo-Kurilsk.[citation needed] It was the sixth most powerful earthquake on record, and to date, the most powerful earthquake in Russian history.[citation needed]
The tsunami was generated by a major earthquake in the Pacific Ocean, 130 kilometers (81 mi) from the shore of Kamchatka, with an estimated magnitude of 9.0. There were three waves about 15–18 meters (49–59 ft) high.[citation needed] After the earthquake the majority of the Severo-Kurilsk citizens fled to the surrounding hills, where they escaped the first wave. However, most of them returned to the town and were killed by the second wave.[citation needed] The third wave was minor. According to the authorities, out of a population of 6,000 people, 2,336 died.[citation needed] The survivors were evacuated to continental Russia. The settlement was then rebuilt in another location.[citation needed]
Earthquakes continue to happen in the area including a series of three M8 events that occurred at ~60km depth on 25-27 March 2020.
See also
References
- ^ a b c Utsu, T. R. (2002), "A List of Deadly Earthquakes in the World: 1500–2000", International Handbook of Earthquake & Engineering Seismology, Part A, Volume 81A (First ed.), Academic Press, p. 706, ISBN 978-0124406520
- ^ USGS (September 4, 2009), PAGER-CAT Earthquake Catalog, Version 2008_06.1, United States Geological Survey
Sources
- MacInnes, B. T.; Weiss, R.; Bourgeois, J.; Pinegina, T. K. (2010), "Slip Distribution of the 1952 Kamchatka Great Earthquake Based on Near-Field Tsunami Deposits and Historical Records" (PDF), Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 100 (4): 1695–1709, Bibcode:2010BuSSA.100.1695M, doi:10.1785/0120090376
External links
- (in Russian) Сливное землетрясение (цунами) 1952 года
- The International Seismological Centre has a bibliography and/or authoritative data for this event.