In Irkutsk, the earthquake occurred on February 4, 2016 at late night: at 2 hours 30 minutes. It was a powerful surge of tectonic activity. The push from the bowels of the earth was very strong.
Cause
The earthquake in Irkutsk in February happened due to the fact that a powerful shake-up occurred in the epicenter located on the territory of Lake Baikal. This phenomenon was investigated by a laboratory for work with earthquake-resistant buildings. As a result, experts say that what should not be cause for concern. Describing a formidable phenomenon, the candidate of mineralogical and geological sciences Yu. Berzhinsky insists that there was no serious danger to human life. With a power of 8 points on the Richter scale, destruction would be inevitable, but the earthquake in Irkutsk at night did not exceed the 6-point mark.
Most of all, the influence of underground processes could be felt while in Novo-Lenino or in Nizhny Lisikh. In Irkutsk, an earthquake manifested itself quite clearly in the indicated regions, because a bypass road is located nearby and semi-rock type soils go almost to the surface of the earth.
Maximum power of shocks
In Irkutsk, the earthquake was especially strong near Nizhny Lisikhi, because there is a lively building process going on. This territory is considered not very favorable from a seismic point of view. But despite this, they still continue to actively build high-rise buildings.
Exploring the question of how many points the earthquake in Irkutsk was, of course, it is worth paying attention to the epicenter, the magnitude of which reached the mark of 6 points. In the remaining areas there were different indicators: Novo-Lenino - 3, Nizhnyaya Lisikh - 5 points.
Exposure level
The earthquake in Irkutsk in February did not reach a critical point, but if the center is 8 points, then a dangerous situation can arise in the most sensitive areas . When tremors exceed acceptable levels, such a surge can cause significant harm to the city and its environs.
The most stable in the sense of seismic activity is the Solnechny region. There, residents could wonder if there was an earthquake in Irkutsk at all.
The right-bank district withstood quite strong shocks. Groundwater does not lie very deep in this territory, which is due to its high sensitivity to seismic bursts.
Research
Seismologists prepared for this incident ahead of time, so the events of that night were no surprise to anyone. In Irkutsk, the earthquake was predicted with high accuracy, and its possible consequences were predicted, including the destruction of specific elements of architecture.
Fortunately, this did not reach the point, because the seismograph did not show 8 points, and before reaching this mark there is no big threat to the environment and infrastructure of the city. The magnitude remained within reasonable limits, however, given the fact that it was winter, there were significant inconveniences associated with the formidable phenomenon: the residents of the city staying in the cold were a problem. And then, no matter how weak the push, the swaying chandelier is enough to cause a serious panic.
Therefore, people were informed in advance that there could be an earthquake in Irkutsk at night, because with 6-point shocks it is still advisable to leave the home. It was not necessary to talk about the destruction of houses, but there remained the possibility of cracks on the walls, so all safety measures were used.
Past experience
A similar event has already occurred in February 1999. Then, at the bottom of Lake Baikal, not far from Listvyanka, at a distance of 25 km from the west coast, the epicenter of a seismic burst opened. It happened at about the same time - around 3 a.m. Terrified people left their homes and were forced to be held captive by 25-degree frost all night.
Naturally, EMERCOM employees were involved. The townspeople for a long time did not want to return to the apartments, although the buildings did not face collapse. The most important thing in such situations is not to panic. Even before the incident in 2016, seismologists analyzed all the possible consequences, and the results of their work were published in newspapers and announced on local radio stations. The danger threatened only those buildings that were built of poor quality concrete. Monolithic cinder block could also quickly collapse.
Hazards
Also, buildings remained in disrepair, which did not have time to demolish. They posed a serious threat, because such houses are about 6% of the total housing stock, which significantly increases the risk of an earthquake. Of course, in a quiet time, these structures hold rather tightly and do not give hints of decay, but it should be borne in mind that with a 6-point seismic surge, circumstances may change.
The elements showed that buildings half a century ago must be changed as soon as possible, otherwise the consequences in such situations can be disastrous and cause considerable losses and human casualties.
Among other things, the threat was that the houses that had been built over the past twenty years were not tested for strength. They did not collapse, but the vibrations carried out by the earth's crust were a dangerous factor for them.
It is worth noting that the earthquake did not cause significant harm to the city, there are no victims either, but there is a serious reason to think about safety, because history shows that this is a recurring phenomenon. Therefore, the number of worries of the city administration has increased: many buildings require demolition or strengthening, and construction sites require additional verification.