1810 Crete earthquake

Tectonic setting

The Hellenic arc is an arcuate tectonic feature related to the subduction of the African plate beneath the Aegean Sea plate. It is one of the most active seismic zones in western Eurasia and has a history of large earthquakes that also affect Egypt. Large earthquakes with epicentres near Crete and to the north of the island are typically intermediate depth events located at the subducting plate interface. Such events are often M7, but due to their depths cause relatively little damage for their size, while being very widely felt.

Damage

The earthquake caused severe damage in Heraklion and northeastern Crete. Damage was also reported from islands in the south Aegean, Cairo, Rosetta, Alexandria in northern Egypt and on Malta. Reports of the collapse of part of the Temple of Amon at Siwa Oasis in 1811 have also been attributed to the 1810 event, rather than a separate earthquake, which is now regarded as a 'spurious event'.

Characteristics

The earthquake was widely felt, and recorded from as far away as Cyprus, Turkey, Syria, central Italy and various parts of North Africa. The main shock is reported to have lasted for two minutes in Malta.

There are reports of a tsunami, with waves being recorded in the harbours of Malta and Alexandria and nearby canals, although these have more the character of seiches.

References

References

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2. (2022). "A Note οn the Impacts of the 1810 Seismic Sequence on Crete". Bulletin of the Geological Society of Greece.
3. Hamouda, A.Z.. (2006). "Numerical computations of 1303 tsunamigenic propagation towards Alexandria, Egyptian Coast". Journal of African Earth Sciences.
4. (29 March 2010). "Tectonic Summary of Greece". United States Geological Survey.
5. (1994). "The seismicity of Egypt, Arabia, and the Red Sea: a historical review". Cambridge University Press.
6. (2010). "Tsunami hazards in the eastern Mediterranean Sea: strong earthquakes and tsunamis in the west Hellenic arc and trench system". [[Journal of Earthquake and Tsunami]].
7. Mallet, R.. (1855). "Report of the annual meeting, Volume 1854". Office of the British Association.
8. National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service (NGDC/WDS). (1972). "Significant Earthquake Database". [[National Geophysical Data Center]], [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]].