1875 Cúcuta earthquake
UTC time | 1875-05-18 |
---|---|
Local date | 18 May 1875 |
Local time | 11:15 |
Magnitude | Mw 6.75 |
Epicenter | 7°54′N 72°30′W / 7.9°N 72.5°W |
Areas affected | Colombia, Venezuela |
Casualties | ~10,000 |
The 1875 Cúcuta earthquake (also known as earthquake of the Andes) occurred on 18 May at 11:15 AM. It completely demolished
That day, the city of
Still it is observed the rest of the church that collapse during the great seismic movement, the houses of that time in the zone were of the purest
Geology
The earthquake occurred in the Mérida Andes and scientists proposed it was associated with rupture on the Aguas Calientes Fault System or faults in the Cucuta graben. The Aguas Calientes Fault System is a northwestern extension of the Boconó Fault. Paleoseismic studies of the Aguas Calientes Fault System at the presumed earthquake epicenter revealed evidence of recent surface rupture. The central part of the Aguas Calientes Fault System was the likely source of the event. Its moment magnitude is estimated at Mw 6.75.[1]
Death toll
The exact number of victims is not known; Spokane Daily Chronicle reported that the figure was as many as 2,500,[2] while other sources say that the death toll was about 1,000.[3][4] Early newspaper reports put the number at 8 to 10,000.[5][6] The Evening Post wrote that 5,000 died outright with a further 9,000 dying from the after effects such as fever and lockjaw.[7]
Affected areas
The earthquake covered 5 degrees of
See also
References
- .
- ^ "Island Smashed-Toll in Quake Nearing 400". Spokane Daily Chronicle. 14 December 1979. Retrieved 23 February 2010.
- ^ "Earthquake rocks central Colombia". BBC News. 25 May 2008. Retrieved 23 February 2010.
- ^ "Colombians Sift Rubble as Earthquake Toll Rises". The New York Times. 27 January 1999. Retrieved 23 February 2010.
- ^ "The Earthquake in Cucuta" (PDF). The New York Times. 16 August 1875. Retrieved 23 February 2010.
- Daily Southern Cross. 23 August 1875. Retrieved 23 February 2010.
- ^ "The Earthquake of South America". Evening Post. 30 August 1875. Retrieved 23 February 2010.
- Southland Times. 13 September 1875. Retrieved 23 February 2010.
Further reading
- Sir Norman Lockyer (1877). Nature. Macmillan Journals Limited. p. 558.