Earthquakes in Russia are a fairly common phenomenon. Of course, for residents of megacities and the central strip, this is rather an unfamiliar concept, but in other areas, in cities, events are held annually to help people respond correctly in the event of such a disaster. For example, in Tuva there was an earthquake of magnitude 3.2 at the end of 2011, and to this day seismic activity in this area does not stop.
Residents of the city are familiar with safety regulations firsthand and know very well how to behave in such situations, but this does not detract from the constant stress experienced by the population, fearing for their lives and the safety of their loved ones.
What is an earthquake
In plain language, these are fluctuations in the surface of the Earth, which are mainly caused by the natural forces of nature. We will not consider artificial incentives such as large explosions and other technical processes.
Earthquakes occupy a leading position in their destructiveness. In the history of mankind there are many examples of the destructive power of nature. Billionsvictims around the world and the consequences that completely disrupted the entire infrastructure of cities and even entire countries. Earthquakes in Russia usually occur in mountainous areas, at the junction of tectonic plates. The leaders in the ranking of those affected by such disasters, of course, are Kamchatka, Altai, the Caucasus and Eastern Siberia. Of course, this is not the whole list of settlements subject to tremors. Seismic activity is periodically observed in some cities, but these phenomena remain invisible to residents.
Earthquake epicenter is considered to be the surface of the Earth, which is closest to the center of the natural phenomenon.
Types of earthquakes
Today, experts distinguish three types of earthquakes:
- Volcanic - volcanic eruptions.
- Man-made earthquakes are strong explosions that cause shifts in underground plates.
- Technogenic - shocks that are caused by human life processes.
How an earthquake is measured
Earth tremors are measured by a special device - a seismograph, which with extreme accuracy not only measures the power of tremors, but also predicts how strong the displacement of tectonic plates will be.
There is a generally accepted world scale, which consists of 12 points:
- 1 point. An almost imperceptible earthquake, as the shaking of the ground is a minimum that cannot be felt.
- 2 points. A rather weak phenomenon, whichcan be felt only when you are in a calm environment. Only a few people can feel it.
- 3 points. A weak earthquake, manifested by vibrations that are more noticeable to others.
- 4 points. Moderate phenomenon, visible to all people.
- 5 points. A strong enough earthquake that provokes the movement of objects in the room.
- 6 points (strong). Buildings can be slightly damaged from fairly strong jolts.
- 7 points. A very strong earthquake, causing more damage to buildings.
- 8 points. A destructive phenomenon that can destroy even the most powerful constructs.
- 9 points. Disastrous earthquake. There are heavy avalanches in the mountains, and people in the cities cannot stand on their feet.
- 10 points. Destroying earthquakes can lead to the complete destruction of a settlement, turning everything in its path into ruins, including roads and all kinds of communications.
- 11 points. Catastrophe.
- 12 points. A severe disaster, in which it is impossible to survive. The relief changes completely, the strongest splits are observed, huge depressions, craters appear and much more.
Causes of earthquakes
Large earthquakes in Russia and in other countries of the world occur due to the collision of lithospheric plates. For example, in the Caucasus there is the Arabian Plate, which is gradually moving north towards the Eurasian Plate, which, in turn, periodically collides withPacific Plate located in Kamchatka. Speaking of the Kamchatka Territory, earthquakes in this area are also affected by volcanic activity, during which quite strong tremors are observed.
Signs of earthquakes
In the entire history of such phenomena, scientists have been able to identify the main signs of an incipient disaster. Earthquakes in Russia usually started after the following things:
- Residents of the cities affected by the disaster have repeatedly indicated that they smelled a strong smell of gas some time before the aftershocks, although this has not been observed in this area before.
- It has also been repeatedly pointed out that pets are becoming restless and birds outside are becoming overly animated.
- Some eyewitnesses and victims claim that they saw electric wires sparking hours before the earthquake.
What earthquakes were in Russia
Russia has repeatedly suffered from natural disasters, including the strongest earthquakes. The landscape of our country is large and varied, as are the climatic zones. Seismically active areas are located mainly on the territory of Sakhalin and the Kamchatka Territory.
Sakhalin
On May 28, 1995, the settlement of Neftegorsk was destroyed on Sakhalin. On a scale, the power of the elements was 7.5 points and 10 points at the epicenter of the earthquake. In a matter of hours, Sakhalin Neftegorsk was simply erased from the surface of the earth, which at that time consisted of 3, 200residents. After the disaster, only 400 people survived, 150 of whom subsequently died in hospitals from their injuries. This is the last earthquake in Russia of such power, which has become truly the most tragic event not only for Sakhalin, but for the whole country.
As eyewitnesses later recalled, the real horror was not during the earthquake itself, but after. Many victims were buried under the ruins of their own houses and gradually suffocated in great agony.
The surviving residents of the village left for the mainland and tried to start life "after the earthquake." This catastrophe has become the strongest in the last 100 years. In the last century, in 1952, a tsunami occurred on Sakhalin, caused by an earthquake in the Pacific Ocean, which swept the city of Severo-Kurilsk off the face of the earth.
On May 25, 2013, a magnitude 4 earthquake hit Sakhalin again.
Kamchatka
Earthquakes in Russia mostly occur in the Kamchatka Territory. In the center of the Klyuchevskaya group of volcanoes is Bezymyannaya Sopka, 3085 meters high. It was she who has always been considered a long-extinct volcano, so the earthquake that began in the morning of 1955 was a complete surprise.
The Klyuchi volcanic station, located 45 kilometers from the volcanoes, recorded huge puffs of white smoke. A few days later, the height of volcanic eruptions was already more than eight kilometers.
Throughout November, residents of the region observed strong lightning strikes,and the surface of the earth was completely covered with ashes. In less than 29 days, the volcanic crater expanded by 550 meters. Unfortunately, this was only preparation for the disaster that occurred on March 30, 1956. Such earthquakes in Russia were not new, so no one evacuated in the hope that the awakened volcano would subside, especially after its activity decreased in late November.
In 1956, the pressure in the volcano reached a critical point. Within 15 minutes, the giant erupted a huge column of fire, which leaned to the east at an angle of 30 degrees. Reaching a height of 24 kilometers, this column of fire and black smoke literally covered the sky. At 20 kilometers from the volcano, the trees were either uprooted or burned at lightning speed. The thickness of hot sand and lava that fell from the sky made the snow melt quickly. Powerful mud streams rushed down, dragging fragments of rocks and stones, demolishing everything in their path.
The base of volcanologists was literally wiped off the face of the earth, fortunately, scientists were not there at that time. Professor Gorshkov said that if this stream rushed in a different direction, then the entire populated area would be destroyed and would be included in the saddest examples of earthquakes in Russia.
Kamchatka is the most dangerous region, not even because there are a large number of volcanoes on its territory, but because in the event of a catastrophe, most of the inhabitants will literally remain locked in surrounded by mountains.
Tuva
In 2012, not far fromIn Kyzyl, an earthquake with a power of 3.2 points was recorded. This phenomenon began at 7:30 am. Since the elements were not so strong, there were no casu alties.
Earthquake statistics in Russia include a phenomenon that occurred in the same region on December 27, 2011, then its power was 9.5 points in the epicenter and 6.7 in other areas. Seismic activity persisted until the end of February 2012, when a shock of magnitude 6.5 occurred. Fortunately, the epicenter was located at a distance of more than 100 kilometers from settlements. Nevertheless, the shocks were felt in the territory of Buryatia, the Irkutsk region, as well as in Khakassia and the Krasnoyarsk Territory. The earthquake map in Russia contains all the main regions most prone to seismic activity, including Kyzyl.
Besides this, specialists update all data monthly. Rocks are sampled and carefully studied. Based on these studies, volcanologists can roughly predict in which areas such phenomena are possible.
What to do during an earthquake in Russia
At the first sign of an earthquake, you need to get outside as soon as possible. If the jolts happen every 15-20 seconds, try to move around when the shaking is less.
If you live in a high-rise building, then you should not use the elevator, as there is a risk that communications are already broken. Therefore, it is better to stay away from cabinets and windows and stand in the doorway untilyou will be able to leave the apartment.
If you are outside at the time of the earthquake, try to stay as far away from buildings, billboards and trees as possible. Large earthquakes in Russia usually completely destroy buildings and scatter pieces of concrete slabs throughout the neighborhood. It is not recommended to travel by car, as the asph alt breaks first and unexpectedly, so you simply won’t have time to physically get out of the car if you get into the fault.
Keep calm and don't panic, the cooler you are, the more likely you will survive.
It's best to always keep all the necessary documents on hand so that in case of any disaster or fire you can leave the house with a passport, this will avoid further red tape with documents.
In closing
Strong earthquakes in Russia happen much more often than we think. Residents of the most seismically active regions have to constantly fear that a tragedy is about to happen. Despite the best efforts of scientists and other experts, it is still impossible to fully predict when and where an earthquake will occur. Nature is unpredictable and sometimes punishes humanity for its inattention.
