Fear of the force of the elements is quite justified, not a single state on earth can resist the phenomena of mother nature. However, living in megacities, many of us get used to a deceptive calm, believing that cataclysms caused by external forces will not affect them. Such opinions are very erroneous, and there are confirmations of this within our country. Thus, an earthquake in Moscow is not uncommon, despite the fact that few residents of the capital will be able to refresh their memory of these disturbing moments.
First known earthquake
Despite the fact that there is very little authentic evidence, there is real evidence that natural disasters of this kind have occurred in the capital region for a long time, quite rarely, but with a certain regularity and a tendency to increase.
Presumablythe 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 up to about 5 points. Tall buildings were the most affected, and the bells themselves rang, which led the local population into a very exciting state. Among the inhabitants of the city there was a rumor about a bad omen, which was facilitated by the unstable political situation. The events that took place were later recorded by the brilliant historian Karamzin.
Repetition of events
There is also evidence that another 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 newly built Assumption Cathedral. According to information obtained as a result of excavations of the 20th century, the strength of the earth's vibrations at the time of the phenomenon was about 6 points, which ultimately led to damage to the newly erected structure.
A classic meets nature
Many experts, answering the question in what year the earthquake in Moscow, often recall the events of the early 19th century. So, on October 14, 1802, the excitement of the earth again reached 5 points. There are eyewitness accounts of the manifestation of an earthquake in tall buildings. Thus, the swinging of chandeliers and the rattling of dishes were noted, and in one of the houses the walls in the cellar even cracked. The tremors underground lasted no more than 20 seconds and did not cause much panic.among the local population, but for a long time it stuck in the memory of the young Alexander Pushkin, who happened to get acquainted with this natural phenomenon at the age of three. In some areas of the city, the unrest was stronger, while 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.
Begin 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 shakings were recorded in the capital. The information obtained allows us to assume low risks of seismic activity in the central region. Later, in more than 200 years of studying natural disasters of this kind, 8 shakings were identified and recorded.
Seismic activity during the war
In what year was the earthquake in Moscow in the 20th century? Recently, the capital region began to shudder from 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 noted that day, estimated at about 5 points. Its cause was a powerful shaking in the Carpathian Mountains, accompanied by devastating events in the epicenter. Echoes of unrest were also felt in such large cities of the USSR as Kyiv, Kharkov and Voronezh. In Lviv, the tremors were extremely strong and were perceived as a full-fledgedearthquake. It is noteworthy that in less than three weeks from the announced date, the echoes of the shaking were also felt in the capital, their strength at that time was no more than 2 points, due to which the violence of the elements went completely unnoticed.
Six months after the end of the Great Patriotic War, an 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 came were minimal in their strength. The earthquake was recorded thanks to the work of the central seismological station.
Trembling of the earth in the Soviet years
The earthquake in Moscow in 1977 made a lot of noise in the foreign press. Newspapermen claimed that the city would soon be in ruins and residents needed to evacuate 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 altitude it was felt much stronger and could reach 7 points. The shocks were characterized as smooth and slow, the direction of their movement was from the southwest. 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 force of the destructive elements not only caused economic damage, but also caused the death of more than 1.5 thousand people.
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 disturb the natural course of life of local residents.
Recently
The earthquake in Moscow in 2013 is one of the last, its strength is estimated at 3-4 points. The reason for the hesitation is the echoes of the events that took place in the Sea of Okhotsk, at the other end of the country. In the Far East region, the strength of the natural elements was 8.2 points.
Many are wondering if there has been an earthquake in Moscow lately? 2015, September 16 - this date will be remembered for the horrific events that took place in the South American country of Chile. However, they were not felt at all in the central part of Russia; scientists predicted certain risks for Kamchatka and the Far East region. So, more than 15 strongest tremors could provoke a strong tsunami from the eastern side of the country.
Where danger forms
Earthquake echoes in Moscow are a frequent event, the periodicity of the earth's vibrations for our capital is about 30-40 years, but it is not possible to fix such a trend. Most of the shocks come to us from the Carpathian Mountains and are felt at ground level with a maximum of 3-4 points. Many people simply do not perceive such unrest, someone notices a slight rattling of glass or a vibration of unknown origin. Presumably situations of this kind will be repeated inIn the future, perhaps over time, the situation will even worsen, and the strength of tremors will grow.
The main danger for Moscow is ground vibrations in the area of the Carpathian Mountains. This seismically active source is located relatively close to the capital of Russia, in addition, it is necessary to take into account the following natural features:
Significant depth of the vibration center. Such a remote location 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 considerable distances
The structure of the earth's crust in the Carpathian area, contributing to the movement of waves from an earthquake towards the northeast, that is, towards Moscow.
In addition to the mentioned Western danger, we should not forget about our own "hot spots". So, tremors can theoretically approach the capital from the Caucasus region. Less likely - ground vibrations that came from the Scandinavian direction. For the most part, they are felt in St. Petersburg and other settlements of the Leningrad region.
Dangerous spots of Russia
Their dangerous areas exist on the territory of Central Russia, as well as the lands immediately adjacent to it. Thus, the most problematic areas are:
- Northwest Region;
- Ural;
- Urals;
- Voronezh array.
It is necessary to note once again the fact that all earthquakes in Moscow areechoes of seismic activity in other regions of the globe. Tremors in our capital do not occur on their own.
What to do in case of danger
When the last earthquake in Moscow, no one knows, to calculate the frequency - it is also quite a thankless task. Hoping for a slight force of the elements, most citizens forget that high-rise buildings are more susceptible to resonance, which means that the force of tremors felt in skyscrapers is much higher than waves recorded at sea level. If you find yourself in an unpleasant situation and experiencing 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 go down the back stairs).
- If possible, before leaving the building, you need to collect essential items (ideal list - documents, 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 close to large and heavy furniture, glass objects and windows.
- During the pushes, be vigilant and look around, mindfulness will allow you to take cover from falling objects.
- Turn off water, gas and electricity (if possible).
- At the end of the emergency, do not immediately try to return to the house, there is a risk of collapse of the structureor individual items is still quite high, in this case it is best to wait for the house to be inspected by specialists.
- If you were allowed to return to the house, do not reconnect gas, electricity and other utilities, their serviceability 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 big trouble.
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 the earth's vibrations of insignificant strength still happen and can be felt by people. Some representatives of science predict stronger and more frequent earthquakes in Moscow in the near future. There is even a theory that there is a rift deep in the bowels of the earth under the city, which sooner or later will remind of its existence.
