Earthquakes in Moscow and their consequences. The strongest earthquake in Moscow

Fear of the strength of the elements is fully justified, no state on earth can resist the phenomena of mother nature. However, living in metropolitan areas, many of us get used to deceptive tranquility, believing that cataclysms caused by external forces will not affect them. Such opinions are very erroneous, confirmations of this exist also within our country. For example, an earthquake in Moscow is not uncommon, despite the fact that few of the residents of the capital will be able to refresh these troubling moments in their memory.

The first known earthquake

Despite the fact that there are very few genuine testimonies, there are real data that suggest that in the metropolitan region natural cataclysms of this kind have occurred for a long time, quite rarely, but with a certain regularity and a tendency to increase.

Presumably the first earthquake in Moscow (about which there is at least some confirmed information) refers to the 15th century. So, in 1445, soil fluctuations were estimated to be about 5 points. The highest impact was on tall buildings, also the bells themselves called, which led the local population into a very disturbing state. Among the inhabitants of the city there was a rumor about an unkind omen, which was contributed by the unstable political situation. The events that happened were subsequently recorded by the brilliant historian Karamzin.

Repetition of events

There is also evidence that a second earthquake in Moscow was observed just 30 years after the event described above. In addition to the spontaneous ringing of the bells, it was accompanied by the collapse of the newly constructed Assumption Cathedral. According to the information obtained as a result of the excavations of the 20th century, the force of the earth's oscillations at the time of the phenomenon was about 6 points, which ultimately resulted in damage to the newly erected structure.

Familiarity with nature

Many experts, answering the question, in what year was the earthquake in Moscow, often recall the events of the early 19 th century. So, on October 14, 1802, the excitement of the earth again reached 5 points. Evidence of eyewitnesses about the manifestation of an earthquake in high houses has been preserved. So, there was a rocking of chandeliers and rattling utensils, and in one of the houses even the walls in the cellar cracked. The jolts under the earth lasted no more than 20 seconds and did not cause a special panic among the local population, but for a long time it crashed into the memory of the young Alexander Pushkin, who happened to get to know this natural phenomenon at the age of three. In some parts of the city, the excitement was stronger, while in others it went absolutely unnoticed. It should be noted that the events of this time were also recorded by Karamzin in one of the most popular newspapers, The Herald of Europe.

Start of official accounting

In 1893, a catalog of earthquakes was compiled on the territory of the country. According to his official data in the period from 1445 to 1887 in the capital, there were 4 weak shakes. The data obtained suggest low risks of seismic activity in the central region. Later, more than 200 years of studying natural disasters of this kind, 8 shocks were detected and recorded.

Seismic activity during the war

In what year was the earthquake in Moscow in the 20th century? Recently, the metropolitan region began to tremble with tremors much more often. The first event recorded in modern times falls on the war years, namely on November 10, 1940. In Moscow, seismic activity was assessed on this day, estimated at about 5 points. Its cause was a powerful shake-up in the Carpathian Mountains, accompanied by destructive events in the epicenter. Echoes of excitement were felt also in such large cities of the USSR as Kiev, Kharkov and Voronezh. In Lviv, tremors were extremely strong and were perceived as a full-fledged earthquake. It is noteworthy that less than three weeks from the announced date, echoes of shaking were also felt in the capital, their strength at the time was no more than 2 points, so that the riot of the elements passed absolutely unnoticed.

Six months after the end of the Great Patriotic War, the earthquake in Moscow was recorded again, but it passed unnoticed for the local residents. The thing is that the epicenter of the event was located not far from Antarctica and the echoes that came by its strength were minimal. The earthquake was registered due to the work of the central seismological station.

Tremors in the Soviet years

The earthquake in Moscow in 1977 made a lot of noise in the foreign press. Newspaper officials claimed that the city would soon be in ruins and residents should be evacuated from the capital as quickly as possible. In fact, the shaking was quite insignificant and amounted to about 3-4 points. However, it should be noted that at the height it felt much stronger and could reach the mark of 7 points. The tremors were characterized as smooth and slow, the direction of their movement was from the south-west. Evening events, recorded in Moscow on March 4, were felt also in such cities as Leningrad and Minsk, and their source was in the Carpathian Mountains. On the territory of Romania, the strength 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 the capital's seismic activity. It happened on August 30, capacity in the epicenter was 8 points, however, as a rule, only weak echoes reached the city, which did not violate 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 are echoes of events that occurred in the Sea of Okhotsk, on the other end of the country. In the Far Eastern region, the strength of the natural element was 8.2 points.

Many people are wondering whether there has been an earthquake in Moscow recently. 2015, September 16 - this date will be remembered by the horrifying events that took place 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 East region. So, more than 15 strongest earthquakes could provoke the strongest 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 periodicity of land fluctuations for our capital is about 30-40 years, but it is not possible to fix such a trend. Most of the tremors come to us from the Carpathian Mountains and at a ground level are felt a maximum of 3-4 points. Many people simply do not perceive such disturbances, someone notices a slight rattling of glass or vibration of unknown origin. Presumably situations of this kind will repeat in the future, perhaps over time the situation will even worsen, and the strength of the earthquakes will increase.

The main danger for Moscow is the fluctuations of the earth in the Carpathian Mountains. This seismically active focus is located relatively close to the capital of Russia, in addition, it is necessary to take into account such natural features:

1. Significant depth of occurrence of the source of oscillations. Such a remote location from the surface of the earth leads to the fact that the waves diverging in the sides are extremely slow and able to transfer their activity over considerable distances.

The structure of the earth's crust in the Carpathian region, contributing to the movement of waves from the earthquake toward the north-east, that is, towards Moscow.

In addition to this western danger, one should not forget about their own "hot spots". So, underground tremors can theoretically come to the capital from the Caucasus region. A smaller probability is soil oscillations, coming from the Scandinavian direction. For the most part, they are felt in St. Petersburg and other settlements of the Leningrad region.

Dangerous points of Russia

Their dangerous areas exist in the territory of Central Russia, as well as lands directly adjacent to it. So, the most problematic are the following areas:

• North-western region;
• The Urals;
• Urals;
• The Voronezh Massif.

It is necessary to note once again the fact that all earthquakes in the territory of Moscow are echoes of seismic activity in other regions of the globe. Underground pushes on the territory of our capital do not arise independently.

What to do in case of danger

When the last earthquake in Moscow happens, nobody knows, calculate the frequency - it's also quite ungrateful. In the hope of an insignificant strength of the elements, most of the townspeople forget that high-rise buildings are more amenable to resonance, and, therefore, the sheer force of tremors felt in skyscrapers is much higher than the waves fixed at sea level. If you are in an unpleasant situation and are experiencing all the delights of tremors, try not to get lost and take the following actions aimed at preserving your own safety:

1. Leave the building (it is forbidden to use the elevator, the best option is to descend the black staircase).
2. If possible, before you leave the building you need to collect the essentials (the ideal list - documents, first-aid kit, money).
3. If you can not leave the apartment, find the safest place. Typically, this is a doorway in the capital wall, located near large and heavy furniture, glass objects and windows.
4. During shocks, be alert and look around, care will allow you to hide from falling objects.
5. Disconnect water, gas and electricity (if possible).
6. At the end of an emergency, do not try to return immediately to the house, it is likely that the risk of collapse of the structure or individual items is still high enough, it is best then to wait for the house to be inspected by specialists.
7. If you were allowed to return to the house, do not connect gas, electricity and other public goods back, and their service should also be checked by the relevant 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.

The 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, it can be concluded that periodically fluctuations of the land of insignificant force still happen and can be felt by people. Some representatives of science predict Moscow in the near future for stronger and more frequent earthquakes. There is even a theory that in the depths of the earth under the city there is a fault, which sooner or later can recall its existence.