On the night of October 19 last year, an earthquake occurred in the Urals. This greatly surprised not only its inhabitants, but also seismologists, since the area is located in a territory that is protected from such cataclysms. A peat bog can catch fire here, a forest fire can happen, but not an earthquake. So what happened anyway? What causes seismic shocks?
What happened?
There was an earthquake in the Urals at night. Pets and animals from the local zoo were the first to feel it. They became nervous, began to rush around the rooms and enclosures in search of shelters. The owners and zookeepers at first could not figure out the reasons for this behavior of animals.
The aftershocks followed. Now the entire population felt the earthquake in the Urals. It was especially difficult for the residents of the upper floors.
Later, the Ministry of Emergency Situations called the incident seismological tremors, but such a thing does not exist. In fact, there was an earthquake with a magnitude of 4.2 points. It had a natural titanic origin.
Epicenter
Employees of the laboratory of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences reported that the epicenter of the earthquake in the Urals is located between the cities of Revda and Nyazepetrovsk. More precisely, it is located 35 km from the village of Mikhailovsk. Rescuers report that it was here that more serious damage and consequences were observed.
Vibration is registered in many cities of the Urals, including Yekaterinburg, Pervouralsk and Novouralsk. Despite the excitement of the inhabitants, life support was not disturbed. All communications and engineering networks worked normally even during vibrations.
Military units also felt the shocks, which did not affect the combat readiness of the local army. She continued to work as usual. Military devices and facilities were not damaged either. There were no violations in the work of combat control, the duty forces served in the same way as usual.
Causes of seismological shocks
What is an earthquake? These are tremors that can be located in a small area, as well as distributed over a large-scale surface. They occur when the plates at the top of the mantle shift. This is observed almost constantly in different regions of the planet. However, there is no technology that can determine the epicenter of a new cataclysm.
The causes of the earthquake in the Urals are due to the fact that the plates in the lithosphere are moving. Tension within the Earth is rising. When it becomes hard to contain, the planet begins to help itself on its own. ATAs a result, surface shifts occur to get rid of stress. The energy is converted into kinetic energy, then spreads in different directions for decent distances. The latter depend on the strength of the shocks.
Are there any casu alties?
The earthquake in October in the Urals in 2015 could not pass unnoticed, without casu alties. There were no human casu alties, but the natural disaster still left traces. For example, in the village of Novoutkinsk, a kindergarten building was damaged as a result of seismological tremors. Glass cracked in its windows.
The Kamenskoe reservoir also suffered. Its top plate has moved. After the shocks, cracks were found on it, therefore, its further use is impossible.
In the epicenter, the residents of the houses suffered, some of them had cracked and broken dishes, cracked glass.
Repair of problems and assistance to the victims were handled by specialists. Some work continues to this day.
In the event of potential threats, experts report that residents of brick houses will have to suffer worse than panel houses if a catastrophe of a stronger magnitude occurs.
Forecasts and expectations
Unfortunately, the causes of an earthquake in the Urals are almost always the same. Catastrophes are of natural origin. Despite the modern development of technology, the improvement of seismological instruments and techniques, it is impossible to accurately predict new shocks. This is due to a number of reasons. But the main onethere is something that cannot be predicted when the titanic plate will move next time, there are no visible patterns.
As far as expectations are concerned, some experts are predicting a recurrence of an earthquake of similar magnitude (or greater) in 2030. However, of course, no one gives a full guarantee.
Earthquake forces
There are several ways in which the severity of a disaster is determined. In Russia, the Mercalli scale is used. In accordance with it, the magnitude of earthquakes in the Urals usually does not exceed 6-7 points. For comparison, you need to familiarize yourself with all the points presented in the scale:
- 1 - an inconspicuous incident that is visible only on instruments;
- 2 - shocks felt by sensitive animals;
- 3 - only noticeable in tall buildings;
- 4 - doors and windows are trembling;
- 5 - possible damage to repairs and property;
- 6 - light damage to buildings occurs;
- 7 - there is serious damage to buildings;
- 8 - large violations in the bearing walls of houses, if tremors occur in a mountainous area, then mudflows descend;
- 9 – buildings collapse, cracks appear in the ground;
- 10 - damage to buildings occurs very quickly, the inhabitants of the houses will not have time to react;
- 11 - even the most resistant buildings are destroyed, cracks in the ground appear with great latitude;
- 12 - maximum score, the terrain is changing, the consequences are catastrophic.
Because in the history of the Urals there has never beenshocks above 7 points, then its inhabitants should not be afraid for the consequences of this natural disaster. But again, no specialist can give a 100% guarantee.
How often can earthquakes be observed in the Urals?
In fact, a small earthquake in the Urals can actually be observed every 2-3 years, or even more often. However, the force of the tremors is so minimal that most residents simply do not notice them. There were few most significant and sensitive natural disasters in the Urals. At the beginning of 1995, vibrations with a force of 4.7 were observed.
In August 2002 there are new unique aftershocks. Then the epicenter of the earthquake in the Urals was deep underground, next to Zlatoust.
In 2010, there were aftershocks in the Sverdlovsk region, the magnitude of which was 4 points.
And the last serious earthquake happened in 2015, in October. His strength was not equal, different settlements felt different vibrations. In general, the magnitude can be indicated in the range of 4.5-5.5 points.
Based on the observations of seismologists, tremors are most often observed in the Sverdlovsk region. Therefore, its residents are advised to familiarize themselves with TB and the rules of conduct as a result of relevant natural disasters.
How to behave during seismic shocks?
In conclusion, it must be said that, despite the rarity, an earthquake in the Urals can still happen. Therefore, all residents are advised to familiarize themselves with the rules of conduct during vibrations:
- Always have a bag with the necessary things (warm clothes, essentials, documents) on hand. It is necessary that they lie nearby, if there is a need, a person should get them as soon as possible.
- If possible, the building must be left, go to an open area. Otherwise, it is advisable to take a place in the doorway of a load-bearing wall or under a solid wooden table.
- If a person is at the moment of vibrations in the car, you must stop, open the windows, but do not leave it until the end of the shocks.
If these rules of conduct are observed, the chances of surviving strong earthquakes are greatly increased.
