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 | 03:58:30[1] |
| Magnitude | 9.0 Mw [2] |
| Depth | 21.6 km (13 mi) |
| Epicenter | 52°18′N 161°00′E / 52.3°N 161.0°ECoordinates: 52°18′N 161°00′E / 52.3°N 161.0°E [2] |
| Max. intensity | XI (Extreme)[2] |
| Tsunami | 18 m (59 ft) [3] |
| Casualties | 2,336 dead |
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 16:58 (UTC).[4] 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 fifth most powerful earthquake since 1900, and to date, the most powerful earthquake in Russian history.
Tsunami[]
The tsunami was generated 130 kilometers (81 mi) offshore Kamchatka, impacting Severo-Kurilsk with three waves about 15–18 meters (49–59 ft) high.[5] 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.[5] According to the authorities, out of a population of 6,000 people, 2,336 died.[1] 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 M7.5 event that occurred at a Depth of 56km on 25 March 2020.[6]
See also[]
- 2006 Kuril Islands earthquake
- April 1923 Kamchatka earthquake and tsunami
- Kamchatka earthquakes
- List of earthquakes in 1952
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Сливное землетрясение (цунами) 1952 года" [The 1952 drainage earthquake (tsunami)]. Local history bulletin 4 (in Russian). Sakhalin Regional Museum of Local Lore and the Sakhalin Branch of the All-Russian Cultural Fund. 1991. Archived from the original on 20 April 2010. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: 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
- ^ "M 9.0 - off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia". earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "1952 Kamchatka Tsunami". Western States Seismic Policy Council. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
- ^ "7.5 magnitude earthquake near Severo-Kuril'sk, Sakhalin, Russia : March 25, 2020 02:49".
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.
- 1952 in the Soviet Union
- Sakhalin Oblast
- Natural disasters in the Soviet Union
- Natural disasters in the Russian Far East
- Megathrust earthquakes in the Soviet Union
- 1952 earthquakes
- 1952 tsunamis
- Tsunamis in Russia
- November 1952 events