1946 Chatkal earthquake
UTC time | 1946-11-02 18:28:35 |
---|---|
ISC event | 898647 |
USGS-ANSS | ComCat |
Local date | 3 November 1946 |
Local time | 00:28 KGT |
Magnitude | 7.5–7.6 Mw |
Depth | 25.0 km |
Epicenter | 41°45′25″N 71°51′14″E / 41.757°N 71.854°E |
Fault | Talas-Fergana Fault |
Type | Thrust |
Areas affected | Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan |
Max. intensity | X (Extreme) IX (Destructive) |
Landslides | Yes |
Aftershocks | Yes |
Casualties | Unknown |
On November 2 of 1946, west Kyrgyzstan (then the Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic in the Soviet Union) was struck by a magnitude 7.5–7.6 earthquake, the largest in the republic since 1911.[1] The earthquake's hypocenter is probably located beneath the Tian Shan Mountains, near the border with Uzbekistan and north of Namangan.
The earthquake had a maximum intensity of X (Extreme) on the Mercalli intensity scale, and IX on the MSK scale. This shock rocked the entire country and Tian Shan range. Severe property damage was reported in its aftermath, but the number of deaths and injuries remains unknown. It has been considered one of the most devastating earthquakes in Central Asia.
Two days later, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck nearby Turkmenistan, killing 400 people.[2]
Tectonic setting
The Talas-Fergana Fault is a massive 800 kilometers (500 miles) intracontinental strike-slip fault running through the Tian Shan Mountains, the largest in Central Asia.[3][4] It has produced several significant earthquakes with magnitude 7.0 or greater in the past 6000 years with recurrence intervals on segments of the fault between 145 and 850 years, and an average of 375 years.[3] Earlier studies and research on this event concluded that the earthquake occurred on a secondary branch of this fault known as the Atoinok Thrust Fault.[5][6]
Effects
Man-made structures within a 1,500 square kilometers (580 square miles) area around the epicenter were completely destroyed. The villages of Shuduger, Kichitovar, and Chontovar were severely damaged or totally destroyed. Intensity X to VIII was evaluated to occupy an area perpendicular to the Chatkal Range, and parallel to the fault.[7][8] The meizoseismal area, however, was parallel to the Talas-Fergana Fault, indicating most of the seismic energy was released parallel to the fault instead.
Surface ruptures up to 300 meters (980 feet) long and 50 meters (160 feet) wide fissured the landscape.
The earthquake's strength was also felt in
Aftershocks
Numerous aftershocks continued throughout the region. The largest included a magnitude 5.5 and 5.4 in 1955 and 1959.[9][10] Another magnitude 5.6 struck near Toktogul Reservoir on October 28, 1971.[11]
See also
References
- NGDC. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
- ^ "Significant Earthquake TURKMENISTAN". NGDC. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
- ^ doi:10.3724/SP.J.1246.2014.01011.)
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - doi:10.1017/qua.2019.21.)
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ^ Ulomov, V.I., Polyakova, T.P., Medvedeva, N.S. (2002). "On the Long-Term Prediction of Strong Earthquakes in Central Asia and the Black Sea–Caspian Region". Izvestiya, Physics of the Solid Earth. 38: 276–290.
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - doi:10.1016/j.tecto.2015.06.020.)
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ^ Kalmetieva, Z.A., Mikolaichuk, A.V., Moldobekov, B.D., Meleshko, A.V., Jantaev, M.M., Zubovich, A.V., Havenith, H.B. (2009). "The Atlas of Earthquakes in Kyrgyzstan". United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction Secretariat Office in Central Asia.
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Wiley Online Library.
- USGS-ANSS. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
- ^ "M 5.4 - Kyrgyzstan". USGS-ANSS. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
- ^ "Event 779728 Kyrgyzstan". International Seismological Centre ISC: On-Line Bulletin. Retrieved 27 December 2020.