1957 Sangchal earthquake

Coordinates: 36°16′37″N 52°46′41″E / 36.277°N 52.778°E / 36.277; 52.778
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

1957 Sangchal earthquake
1957 Sangchal earthquake is located in Iran
1957 Sangchal earthquake
Tehran
Tehran
UTC time1957-07-02 00:42:26
ISC event886779
USGS-ANSSComCat
Local dateJuly 2, 1957 (1957-07-02)
Magnitude6.6–7.1 Mw
Depth15 km (9 mi)
Epicenter36°16′37″N 52°46′41″E / 36.277°N 52.778°E / 36.277; 52.778[1]
TypeStrike-slip
Areas affectedIran
Total damageUS$25 million
Max. intensityMMI IX (Violent)
Casualties1,500 killed

The 1957 Sangchal earthquake struck northern Iran's

Alborz Mountains
and caused an estimated 1,500 fatalities. Damage was estimated at US$25 million.

Tectonic setting

The

crustal thickening to take place. Most of the convergence is accommodated along fold and thrust belts of the Zagros, Alborz, Kopet Dag mountains, and in eastern Iran, where seismicity is high. Seismicity in the central plateau is low due to its geology consisting of rigid and aseismic tectonic blocks.[3]

Earthquake

A map of major faults in Iran

The earthquake was the result of shallow thrust faulting along the Larzaneh Fault, a shallow south-dipping thrust fault in the Alborz Mountains. The mainshock ruptured across a 50 km (31 mi) × 25 km (16 mi) area. It is the second largest instrumentally recorded earthquake in the mountains, behind the 1990 Manjil–Rudbar earthquake. The earthquake beneath the mountains occurred in a region of northwest–southeast trending reverse faults; near the interconnection of two antithetic reverse faults where the western Larzaneh Fault terminates. The fault links to another thrust fault via a linkage fault dipping southwest and extending to the northwest.[3]

No coseismic

fumarolic activity on Mount Damavand despite its epicenter within 100 km (62 mi) of the volcano.[4] However, some fault movement was observed along the Amir Fault Zone, a south-dipping reverse fault. Fresh cracks were reported along a road that crosses the fault after the earthquake. There were unconfirmed reports of large fissures measuring several kilometers long in the mountainous area, north of Sang Chal. Nicholas Ambraseys also documented 3 km (1.9 mi) of surface faulting which were not coseismic. These cracks were explained as triggered landslides or other natural events other than faulting.[5]

Impact

The meizoseismal area was located between the Haraz and Talar rivers; encompassing the dehestans of Band Pay, Beh, Dala Rustaq and Chalav. There, around 120 villages were levelled and 1,500 deaths were recorded. The villages of Sang Chal, Nandal, Chaliyasar, Nasal, Andavar and Pardimeh were the hardest-hit. In Burun, Varzaneh, Shanguldeh, Nal and Dinan, rockfalls and landslides caused further devastation. Rivers and streams were dammed by falling rocks and landslides; the Haraz River near Aliabad was blocked by a 20 m (66 ft) high and 1 km (0.62 mi) long dam which formed a reservoir. There were few engineering infrastructures in the region; the only reported damage was along Haraz road, which was minimal. The abudments of an 80 m (260 ft) long masonry arch bridge sunk, and its deck cracked. The lining of a tunnel linking Kuhrud and Bayjan was severely cracked and its haunch sheared. Minor damage was observed at a tunnel near Nur and on a wooden bridge in Aliabad.[4]

Damage beyond the meizoseismal area was less severe but widespread. The severity of damage decreased more dramatically with distance towards the northwest and southeast compared to the northeast and southwest. Damage was reported as far as Pul-i Safis, Shiragh and to the Kaslian River. At Utu, near the Kaslian River, several homes collapsed. Caved roofs were reported in Polur and Fasham while in Tehran, some homes were damaged. Damage to buildings extended as far southeast as Firuzkuh. To the northwest, at Qaemshahr and Sari, some modern constructions were damaged. An imamzadeh at Vāneh and the Emamzadeh Hashem Shrine were heavily damaged.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b ISC (27 June 2022), ISC-GEM Global Instrumental Earthquake Catalogue (1900–2009), Version 9.1, International Seismological Centre
  2. ^ a b Ansari 2021.
  3. ^ a b c Ambraseys & Melville 1982, p. 93–94.
  4. ^ Tchalenko 1973, p. 310–320.

Sources

External links