Earthquakes in Russia occur quite often. Residents of the central strip have a poor idea of what it is. But still, many understand that this is a destructive element, from which it is sometimes almost impossible to escape. This article will talk about the most terrible and large-scale earthquakes in our country.
What is an earthquake?
This term literally means fluctuations in the surface of the Earth caused by the natural forces of nature. Sometimes they can be accompanied by large explosions or other artificial stimuli.
By their destructive power, if we take, for example, the 1995 earthquake in Neftegorsk, these disasters occupy the main places. In the history of Russia and the world, there are many facts of the destructive power of nature - millions of victims around the globe and the consequences that completely violated the infrastructure of large cities and even countries.
The epicenter of an earthquake is the surface of the Earth, which is closest to the center of a natural phenomenon. Today, experts distinguish the following types of earthquakes:
- Volcanic caused by volcanic eruptions.
- Artificial, which arise from severe explosions and subsequent shifts of underground slabs.
- Technogenic - tremors of the Earth, arising from the processes of human life.
Where are earthquakes in Russia?
Our country has repeatedly suffered from various natural elements, including the disaster that occurred in the city of Neftegorsk. The earthquake then destroyed the village and claimed a huge number of human lives. Other cities of the Sakhalin Oblast are no exception.
The landscape of our country is diverse and large, as well as climatic zones. In general, spontaneous phenomena of such a plan in the Russian Federation occur in mountainous regions. The leaders among those affected by such a natural disaster are:
- Kamchatka
- Altai.
- Caucasus.
- Eastern Siberia.
This is not the whole list of territories where tremors are observed. In some areas, small but constant seismic activity is recorded - these are villages and cities of the Sakhalin region and the territory of Kamchatka. Such activity is sometimes almost invisible to local residents, but this is not always the case.
Major earthquakes in Russia
In August 2005, a strong earthquake with an amplitude of about 7 on the Richter scale occurred in the Uglegorsk region. It was not as powerful and fast as the Sakhalin earthquake (Neftegorsk, 1995), but still. During this natural disaster, many buildings and structures were destroyed. In addition, landslides that came down from the mountains were destroyed.
In September 2003, an earthquake occurred in six districts of southern Altai with a magnitude of about 7.5. Then a series of natural phenomena, but of lesser force, were noted in the region. At the same time, earth tremors were recorded in other areas:
- Novosibirsk region.
- Krasnoyarsk Territory.
- East Kazakhstan, etc.
Fortunately, there were no casualties, but several people were injured (received minor injuries). The earthquake caused enormous damage to the republic in the amount of about one billion rubles.
In October 2008, a magnitude 5 earthquake struck in the North Caucasus in Chechnya. There were human casualties (13 dead), more than 100 people were injured. Tremors were also felt in Georgia, Dagestan, North Ossetia.
Seventeenth Century Earthquakes
As you know, the fixation of natural disasters, including earthquakes, began only three hundred years ago. This does not mean that before this time there were no underground strikes. It's all about the historical division of the territory. Until the 16th century, only the Central European part and the Volga region belonged to Russia. In these regions, earthquakes were insignificant and sometimes even imperceptible to people. Mountainous territories were included in the country only in the 18th century, respectively, and the report of natural disasters began precisely from this time period.
The strongest earthquakes of the 18th century
Serious natural disasters periodically occurred on the territory of our country. A major earthquake in 1725, which occurred in Eastern Siberia, went down in history as the most destructive at that time. About him it became known from the stories of the naturalist Messerschmidt D. According to the scientist, the force of the shock was 11 points. Examining his house, the naturalist noticed that huge cracks had formed in the structure. Since the regions of Eastern Siberia were not densely populated, the earthquake did not bring many victims. According to the notes of scientists and researchers, then such phenomena occurred quite often, but there were no serious consequences.
In 1761, a terrible earthquake with an amplitude of 11 points occurred in Altai. Data has survived thanks to surviving military reports. The shocks were so strong that cracks formed in the ground, and the towers swayed and collapsed.
Earthquakes of 19-20 centuries
Kamchatka is a region that is still considered a seismic hazard zone. The largest earthquakes are tremors in 1792 and in 1841. According to the classification of seismic shocks, earthquakes were assigned a value of 8 points on the Richter scale.
In the south of Russia, namely in the Caucasus, a terrible earthquake was recorded in 1970. Then the elements destroyed more than 250 settlements. Dagestan lost more than thirty inhabitants. Magnitude of shocks - 7 points. This earthquake was considered the most destructive in the history of the country.
January 1862 - it was then that terrible seismic strikes began to crush the territory of Lake Baikal. A catastrophic earthquake lasted three days. According to studies, its magnitude was 8-9 points. As a result of a natural disaster, the Tsagan steppe was flooded and part of the lake went underground.
Seismic activity in Russia
Earthquakes, tremors, fluctuations in the surface of the Earth can occur with a certain force. That is, sometimes the above phenomena are almost invisible, especially for people. And sometimes this force is destructive, for example, Neftegorsk (Sakhalin). On the map of Russia now such a settlement does not exist, or rather, no one lives there. The shocks in the indicated place were of such force that the integrity of the soil was violated, which led to the destruction of buildings and deaths. Neftegorsk, in which an earthquake claimed many lives, was practically wiped off the face of the earth. In more detail about it we will tell further.
The territory of our country has averaged indicators of seismic activity, despite the fact that some natural disasters have become real disasters. There are regions where the probability of an earthquake is very high. According to statistics, more than 40% of the territory of Russia are at risk. These include regions where earthquakes of more than 6 points occur every 500 years. 9% of the territory has a high class of earthquake, that is, they belong to the zone with the maximum probability of frequent tremors - on the Richter scale they reach 8-9 points. Such areas of the mainland include Altai, the Sayan ridge, Baikal, the Kuril Islands, Kamchatka, Transbaikalia and Sakhalin.
Recent earthquakes in Russia
What earthquakes were in Russia recently? These natural disasters include the incident in Tuva. In 2012, an earthquake with a magnitude of 3.2 on the Richter scale was recorded near Kyzyl. It started at 7 a.m. The victims were not in view of the fact that the earthquake was a small force. In the same region in 2011 there was a natural disaster of 9-point power at the epicenter and about 6 points in the regions. Seismic activity lasted from December to the end of February. But since the epicenter of this earthquake was at a distance of more than 100 km from the nearest settlements, no casualties or damage were observed. But the tremors of the earth's surface could be felt in the following regions:
- Buryatia.
- Irkutsk region.
- Khakassia.
- Krasnodar region.
The main regions subject to seismic activity are marked, including Kyzyl, Sakhalin, on the map of Russia.
Neftegorsk
Neftegorsk, Sakhalin Oblast, is a small Russian town with a population of just over three thousand people. He was conceived as a shift city of oil workers. It was founded in 1964. But, as often happens, everything temporary becomes permanent. Why leave the city, where there is a constant well-paid job, good housing? Moreover, this is a provincial town, but very cozy and well-groomed, in which there are 4 kindergartens, a school, etc.
1995 is the year of unprecedented seismic activity in the Pacific Ocean. In the winter, an earthquake in Japan claimed more than 5,000 lives. Russian seismologists expected tremors on the Earth’s surface both in the Far East and in Kamchatka. No one imagined what Neftegorsk would soon turn into. A ghost town is what became the place of existence of oil workers. No one expected an earthquake here. The north of Sakhalin has always been considered a zone of less seismic activity than the southern part or the Kuril Islands.
Neftegorsk: earthquake
It turned out to be unexpected, fast and scary. On the night of May 28, 1995, when the main population was asleep, the village of Neftegorsk , a provincial small town, was almost completely destroyed on Sakhalin. This earthquake is the most destructive in Russia in the 20th century. It claimed about 2 thousand lives. This settlement has disappeared from the face of the Earth.
Neftegorsk earthquake (1995) Consequences
As a result of the Sakhalin earthquake hit:
- 17 five-story panel houses.
- School.
- Bakery.
- Club.
- Canteen.
- Private sector homes.
- Bridges.
- Roads, etc.
One push was enough, and almost all buildings with peacefully sleeping people turned into a pile of debris. Under them, over 2,300 people remained buried alive. A little more than 400 people managed to get alive, 37 of whom died in the hospital.
The fate of the village
It was decided not to restore Neftegorsk. An earthquake erased this town from the map of Russia. In the same year, in the fall, he was completely eliminated. Now on this place is a sandy desert with tombstones and a memorial complex. Plates lie on the site of the former five-story building. And the memorial complex was opened in the place where the school graduates' ball was held, dedicated to the last bell. Every year on May 28, people come to this place to bow and honor the victims.