The fear of the power of the elements is fully justified, not a single state on earth can resist the phenomena of mother nature. However, living in megacities, many of us get used to deceptive calmness, believing that cataclysms caused by external forces will not affect them. Such opinions are very erroneous, evidence of this exists within our country. So, an earthquake in Moscow is not at all uncommon, despite the fact that few of the residents of the capital will be able to refresh these worrisome moments.
First known earthquake
Despite the fact that there is very little genuine evidence, there is real evidence to suggest that natural disasters of this kind have occurred in the capital region for a long time, quite rarely, but with a certain regularity and tendency to increase in frequency.
Presumably the first earthquake in Moscow (about which there is at least some confirmed information) dates back to the 15th century. So, in 1445, soil vibrations were estimated to be approximately 5 points. Tall buildings were most affected, and bells themselves rang, making the local population very excited. There was a rumor among the city dwellers about an unkind omen, which was facilitated by the unstable political situation. The events that occurred were subsequently recorded by the brilliant historian Karamzin.
Recurrence of events
There is also evidence that a repeated earthquake in Moscow was noted literally 30 years after the event described above. In addition to the spontaneous ringing of bells, it was accompanied by the collapse of the just-built Assumption Cathedral. According to the information obtained as a result of excavations of the 20th century, the strength of terrestrial vibrations at the time of the phenomenon was about 6 points, which ultimately led to damage to the newly constructed structure.
Acquaintance of the classic with nature
Many experts, answering the question of what year the earthquake in Moscow was, often recall the events of the early 19th century. So, on October 14, 1802, the unrest of the earth again reached 5 points. Eyewitness accounts of the earthquake in high houses have been preserved. So, the swinging of chandeliers and the rattle of dishes were noted, and in one of the houses the walls in the cellar even cracked. The shocks underground lasted no more than 20 seconds and did not cause much panic among the local population, but for a long time it struck the memory of young Alexander Pushkin, who had the chance to get acquainted with this natural phenomenon at the age of three. In some areas of the city the excitement was stronger, in others it went completely unnoticed. It should be noted that the events of this time were also recorded by Karamzin in one of the popular newspapers Vestnik Evropy.
Beginning of official accounting
In 1893, a catalog of earthquakes in the country was compiled. According to his official data, in the period from 1445 to 1887, 4 mild shakes were recorded in the capital. The information obtained suggests low risks of seismic activity in the central region. Subsequently, over more than 200 years of studying natural disasters of this kind, 8 shakes were identified and recorded.
Seismic activity during the war
What year was the earthquake in Moscow in the 20th century? Recently, the metropolitan region began to shudder from tremors much more often. The first event recorded in modern time falls on the war years, namely on November 10, 1940. In Moscow on that day, seismic activity was estimated, estimated at about 5 points. Its cause was a powerful shake in the Carpathian Mountains, accompanied by devastating events at the epicenter. Echoes of unrest were also felt in such large cities of the USSR as Kiev, Kharkov and Voronezh. In Lviv tremors were extremely strong and were perceived as a complete earthquake. It is noteworthy that less than three weeks from the announced date, the echoes of shaking were also felt in the capital, their strength at that time was no more than 2 points, due to which the riot of elements passed completely unnoticed.
Six months after the end of World War II, the earthquake in Moscow was recorded again, but it went unnoticed by local residents. The thing is that the epicenter of the event was located not far from Antarctica and the echoes that arrived were minimal in their strength. The earthquake was fixed due to the work of the central seismological station.
Tremors in the Soviet era
The earthquake in Moscow in 1977 made a lot of noise in the foreign press. Newspapers claimed that the city would soon be in ruins and residents needed to evacuate from the capital as quickly as possible. In fact, the shaking was very slight and amounted to about 3-4 points. However, it should be noted that at a height it was felt much stronger and could reach the mark of 7 points. The shocks were characterized as smooth and slow, the direction of their movement was from the southwest. The evening events recorded in Moscow on March 4 were also felt in cities such as Leningrad and Minsk, and their source was in the Carpathian Mountains. On the territory of Romania, the power of the destructive elements not only caused economic damage, but also caused the death of more than 1.5 thousand people.
The earthquake in Moscow (1986) continues the chronicle of metropolitan seismic activity. It happened on August 30, the power at the epicenter was 8 points, however, as usual, only weak echoes reached the city, which did not disrupt the natural course of life of local residents.
Lately
The earthquake in Moscow in 2013 is one of the last, its strength is estimated at 3-4 points. The reason for the fluctuations is the echoes of the events that occurred in the Sea of Okhotsk, on the other side of the country. In the Far Eastern region, the strength of the natural elements amounted to 8.2 points.
Many are wondering if there has been an earthquake in Moscow recently? 2015, September 16 - this date will be remembered for the terrifying events that occurred in the South American country of Chile. However, in the central part of Russia they were not felt at all, scientists predicted certain risks for Kamchatka and the Far Eastern region. So, more than 15 strong tremors could provoke a strong tsunami from the eastern side of the country.
Where is the danger formed?
The echoes of the earthquake in Moscow are a frequent event, the frequency of earth oscillations for our capital is about 30-40 years, but it is not possible to fix such a tendency. Most of the tremors come to us from the Carpathian mountains, and at the ground level they feel a maximum of 3-4 points. Many people simply do not perceive such unrest, someone notices a slight rattle of glass or vibration of an unknown origin. Presumably, situations of this kind will be repeated in the future, perhaps with time the situation will even worsen, and the strength of tremors will increase.
The main danger for Moscow is represented by land fluctuations in the Carpathian mountains. This seismically active source is relatively close to the Russian capital, in addition, it is necessary to take into account such natural features:
- Significant depth of occurrence of the focus of oscillations. Such a location remote from the surface of the earth leads to the fact that the waves diverging to the sides die out extremely slowly and are able to transfer their activity over significant distances.
The structure of the earth's crust in the Carpathian region, contributing to the movement of waves from the earthquake towards the north-east, that is, towards Moscow.
In addition to the aforementioned Western danger, we should not forget about our own “hot spots”. So, tremors can theoretically approach the capital from the Caucasus region. Less likely - soil vibrations that came from the Scandinavian direction. For the most part, they are felt in St. Petersburg and other settlements of the Leningrad region.
Danger points of Russia
Their dangerous areas exist on the territory of Central Russia, as well as the lands directly adjacent to it. So, the following areas are most problematic:
- Northwest region;
- Ural;
- Cis Ural;
- Voronezh massif.
It should be noted once again that all earthquakes in Moscow are echoes of seismic activity in other regions of the globe. Tremors in our capital do not occur independently.
What to do in case of danger
When the last earthquake in Moscow occurs, it is not known to anyone to calculate the frequency - this is also a thankless task. In the hope of an insignificant force of the elements, the majority of citizens forget that high-rise buildings are more resonant, which means that the tremor of shocks felt in skyscrapers is much higher than waves recorded at sea level. If you find yourself in an unpleasant situation and experience all the delights of tremors, try not to get lost and take the following actions aimed at maintaining your own safety:
- Leave the building (it is forbidden to use the elevator, the best option is to descend the back stairs).
- If possible, before leaving the building it is necessary to collect essentials (the ideal list is documents, a first-aid kit, money).
- If you cannot leave the apartment, find the safest place. As a rule, this is a doorway in the main wall, located near large and heavy furniture, glass objects and windows.
- During shocks, be vigilant and look around, attentiveness will allow you to hide from falling objects.
- Turn off water, gas and electricity (if possible).
- After the emergency, do not try to immediately return to the house, probably the risk of collapse of the structure or individual objects is still quite high, it is best in this case to wait for the house to be examined by specialists.
- If you were allowed to return to the house, do not reconnect the gas, electricity and other communal goods; their service should also be checked by the appropriate service.
The main requirement in any such situation is not to panic and help others not to fall into it, uncoordinated and irrational actions can lead to trouble and major troubles.
New theory
Of course, the probability of an earthquake in Moscow is not so great, the seismic situation in the region is considered relatively calm. However, referring to historical facts, we can conclude that periodically fluctuations of the earth of insignificant strength still happen and can be felt by people. Some representatives of science predict Moscow in the near future more powerful and frequent earthquakes. There is even a theory that in the depths of the earth’s depths beneath the city there is a rift, which, sooner or later, is able to recall its existence.