1819 Rann of Kutch earthquake
Local date | 16 June 1819 |
---|---|
Local time | 18:45 to 18:50 |
Magnitude | 7.7–8.2 Mw |
Epicenter | 23°00′N 71°00′E / 23.0°N 71.0°E |
Areas affected | India, Gujarat |
Max. intensity | MMI XI (Extreme) [1] |
Tsunami | local |
Casualties | >1,543[2] |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/32/Kachchh_Area.png/260px-Kachchh_Area.png)
The 1819 Rann of Kutch earthquake occurred at about 18:45 to 18:50 local time on 16 June 1819. It had an estimated magnitude ranging from 7.7 to 8.2 on the
Tectonic setting
The
Earthquake
The earthquake lasted for two to three minutes. It was felt over an enormous area, from Chennai to Kolkata in the east, as far north as Kathmandu and as far west as Balochistan. The main shock was followed by prolonged aftershock activity, with major earthquakes continuing for at least 50 years, including one with estimated magnitude of more than 6.5 in 1846.[4]
Maximum displacement during the earthquake is estimated at 12 m (39 ft), based on the height of the bund and the amount of subsidence to the south. Combined with a lateral extent of at least 80 km (50 mi), this gives an estimated moment magnitude of 7.7±0.2. This matches well with magnitudes estimated using both the total felt area and the area of VIII intensity.[4] Other estimates based on intensity measurements give magnitudes as high as 8.2.[5]
Modelling of the surface deformation indicates that the fault that slipped during the earthquake dipped to the north at between about 50°–67°. As faults that dip in excess of 50° are normally unfavourable for slip, it has been suggested that there was relatively high pore-fluid pressure developed at depth to allow this displacement to occur.[4] There is evidence that the Indus river shifted westwards after this earthquake.[6]
Allah Bund
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/de/Gujarat_Geological_map.jpg/220px-Gujarat_Geological_map.jpg)
The most obvious topographic effect of this earthquake was the formation of a ridge about 6 m (20 ft) high, extending for 80 km (possibly as much as 150 km (93 mi)) that formed a natural dam across the Puram or Kori River.[7][8] To distinguish it from the man-made dams that were common in the region, the uplifted area became known as the Allah Bund, or Dam of God.[4] The mound produced had a markedly asymmetric geometry, with a shorter and steeper south-dipping margin, about 600 m wide and a dip of 0.65°, and a broader north-dipping margin over 5 km wide with a dip of only about 0.05°.[4]
Sindri Lake
Sindri Lake, with a surface area of more than 1,000 km2 (390 sq mi), was formed due to subsidence of up to 3 m (9.8 ft) south of the Allah Bund. Initially, the lake was cut off from the river (damming further upstream had stopped the flow) and was filled with seawater. On the western margin of the lake a small delta built out from the eastern part of the larger Indus Delta. After 1826 the river broke through the artificial dam and eventually broke through the bund itself, causing the lake to become freshwater again.[4]
Later earthquakes
The
Changes in stress caused by
Tsunami
There was a local tsunami that flooded the area known as the
Damage
The towns of
See also
- List of earthquakes in India
- List of historical earthquakes
- List of historical tsunamis
References
- doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K. Retrieved 30 July 2022.)
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(help - ^ doi:10.1785/0120080328. Archived from the originalon 11 December 2013. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
- . Retrieved 2 April 2012.
- ^ ISBN 9781862390249. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
- .
- ^ "Indus re-enters India after two centuries, feeds Little Rann, Nal Sarovar". India Today. 7 November 2011. Retrieved 2011-11-07.
- ^ "Two disasters that defined India's south-west border with Pakistan for ever". Retrieved 22 December 2015.
- ^ "Anthropocene Metamorphosis of the Indus Delta and Lower Floodplain" (PDF). Retrieved 22 December 2015.
- .
- .