1139 Ganja earthquake explained

1139 Ganja earthquake
Pre-1900:yes
Magnitude:7.7, 7.5, 7.0–7.3
Location:40.3°N 46.2°W
Countries Affected:Seljuk Empire (present-day Azerbaijan)
Intensity: or
Casualties:230,000–300,000 dead (.est)

The 1139 Ganja earthquake was one of the worst seismic events in history. It affected the Seljuk Empire and Kingdom of Georgia; modern-day Azerbaijan and Georgia. The earthquake had an estimated magnitude of 7.7, 7.5 and 7.0–7.3 . A controversial death toll of 230,000–300,000 came as a consequence of this event.[1]

Tectonic setting

Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia are located in an area of high seismic activity as both countries are situated in the collision zone between the Eurasian and Arabian Plates. The collision zone consists of an accreted island arc that collided after the closure of the Tethys Ocean, continental blocks, and sediments from the Mesozoic and Tertiary eras. The area is separated into three geographical regions; Lesser Caucasus, Kura Basin and Greater Caucasus. Seismic activity in the Lesser Caucasus is typically associated with strike-slip faults with vertical dip angles. In the Greater Caucasus, seismic activity correspond to thrust faulting. Extending beneath the Greater Caucasus is the remnant of a subducted tectonic plate after the ocean closed.[2] Earthquakes are caused by crustal compression and shear as the two tectonic plates interact.[3]

Earthquake

The earthquake had an estimated moment magnitude of 7.0–7.3 and 7.7 or 7.5 on the surface-wave magnitude scale at a depth of .[4] [5] [6] A maximum intensity of IX (Violent) or XI (Extreme) on the Mercalli intensity scale was assigned.[7] It was also perceived as far as Aleppo where the felt intensity was II (Weak).

An epicenter location at 40.3°N 46.2°W, near Ganja, was suggested by researchers. This region of the Lesser Caucasus is dominated by oblique and strike-slip tectonics. The fault responsible for the earthquake, the Pambak-Sevan-Syunik Fault, is a 490-kilometer-long WNW–ESE striking strike-slip fault. For the majority of its length, it demonstrates right-lateral displacement, but at the westernmost segment, its slip sense is left-lateral. The earthquake ruptured the Mrav segment of the fault at its eastern end. Unlike the rest of the Pambak-Sevan-Syunik Fault, the Mrav segment is characterized by a series of north-dipping thrust faults.[8] Paleoseismology in the region indicate large earthquakes of up to 7.5 have occurred on the fault.[9] The Pambak-Sevan-Syunik Fault was also responsible for an earthquake in 1931.

Damage

Mkhitar Gosh, an Armenian scholar and writer, quoted Job 9:6 and Psalm 103:32 from the Holy Bible to describe the earthquake.[10] He wrote of tremendous damage in the P'ar'isos and Xach'e'n districts of Syunik. The city of Ganzak was also devastated, leaving many of its residents buried under ruins. Many structures including monasteries and churches castles and villages in the mountainous region were totally destroyed.[11] Strong shaking triggered massive landslides off the sides of mountains and canyons in the Caucasus Mountains region. Parts of Kapaz Mount collapsed, and the resulting landslide blocking the Kürəkçay River, forming Lake Göygöl.[12] Another six lakes formed, including Maral-gol and Lake Ağgöl.[13]

The number of people who died in the mountains is not known, described as "incalculable". Estimates of the death toll range between 230,000 and 300,000 making it one of the deadliest earthquakes in history.[14] Among the dead were two sons of then ruler of the Seljuk Empire, Qara Sonqor.[15] The death toll figure remains controversial with some authors stating it is an exaggeration considering the population of the area at the time of the disaster.[16] Others argued that this was a conflation of information about the 1138 Aleppo and 1137 Jazira earthquakes.

Aftermath

King Demetrius I of Georgia took advantage of the earthquake and looted the city. Troops stole many artifacts and prized items from the city, including the Ancient Gates of Ganja, which was utilized as a trophy.[17] [18] The city was reconstructed by Qara Sonqor, where it began to flourish.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Most Destructive Known Earthquakes on Record in the World . Earthquake.usgs.gov . 2022-04-22 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090901233953/http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/world/most_destructive.php . 2009-09-01 .
  2. Alik Ismail-Zadeh . Shota Adamia . Aleksandre Chabukiani . Tamaz Chelidze . Sierd Cloetingh . Michael Floyd . Alexander Gorshkov . Alexei Gvishiani . Tahir Ismail-Zadeh . Mikhail K. Kaban . Fakhraddin Kadirov . Jon Karapetyan . Talat Kangarli . Jemal Kiria . Ivan Koulakov . Jon Mosar . Tea Mumladze . Birgit Müller . Alexander Soloviev . Geodynamics, seismicity, and seismic hazards of the Caucasus . Earth-Science Reviews . 2020 . 207 . 103222 . 103222 . 10.1016/j.earscirev.2020.103222 . Elsevier. 2020ESRv..20703222I . 219925399 .
  3. Tectonics of the Eastern Greater Caucasus in Azerbaijan . Bochud . Martin . 1733 . 2011-10-25 . . . Switzerland . en . 2022-03-04 . 2022-03-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220304212740/https://doc.rero.ch/record/31855/files/BochudM.pdf . live .
  4. Web site: Ulomov . V.I. . Medvedeva . N.S. . Специализированный каталог землетрясений для задач общего сейсмического районирования территории Российской Федерации . Specialized catalog of earthquakes for the purpose of general seismic zoning of the territory of the Russian Federation . 2014 . O.Y. Smidt Institute of Physics of the Earth, Russian Academy of Sciences . 2021-06-04 . 2023-04-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230404000014/http://seismos-u.ifz.ru/documents/Eartquake-Catalog-%D0%A1%D0%9A%D0%97.pdf . live .
  5. Book: Musson R.M.W. . Encyclopedia of Solid Earth Geophysics . Great Earthquakes . 2014 . Springer, Dordrecht . Netherlands . 978-90-481-8702-7 . 23 June 2021 . Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series . 561–568 . 10.1007/978-90-481-8702-7_7 . 21 February 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230221112812/https://doi.org/10.1007%2F978-90-481-8702-7_7 . live .
  6. Inessa Vorobieva . Alik Ismail-Zadeh . Alexander Gorshkov . Nonlinear dynamics of crustal blocks and faults and earthquake occurrences in the Transcaucasian region . Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors . 2019 . 297 . 106320 . 106320 . . 10.1016/j.pepi.2019.106320 . 2019PEPI..29706320V . 210621325 . 2022-03-04 . 2022-08-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220810024854/http://www.mitp.ru/~aismail/papers/2019_PEPI_Caucasus_BAFD.pdf . live .
  7. Web site: Guidoboni . E. . Ferrari . G. . Comastria. . A. . Tarabusi . G. . Sgattoni . G. . Valensise . G. . Catalogue of Strong Earthquakes in Italy 461 B.C. – 1997 and Mediterranean Area 760 B.C. – 1500 . 2018 . 4 June 2021 . Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) . 10.6092/ingv.it-cfti5 . 4 June 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210604220318/http://storing.ingv.it/cfti/cfti5/quake.php?M2068IT . live .
  8. Alice O. Matossian . Hayk Baghdasaryan . Ara Avagyan . Hayk Igityan . Mikayel Gevorgyan . Hans-Balder Havenith . A New Landslide Inventory for the Armenian Lesser Caucasus: Slope Failure Morphologies and Seismotectonic Influences on Large Landslides . Geosciences . 2020 . 10 . 3 . 111 . 10.3390/geosciences10030111 . 2020Geosc..10..111M . free . 1854/LU-8655179 . free .
  9. J.-F. Ritz . A. Avagyan . M. Mkrtchyan . H. Nazari . P.-H. Blard . A. Karakhanian . H. Philip . S. Balescu . S. Mahan . S. Huot . P. Münch . M. Lamothe . Active tectonics within the NW and SE extensions of the Pambak-Sevan-Syunik fault: Implications for the present geodynamics of Armenia . Quaternary International . 2016 . 395 . 61-78 . 10.1016/j.quaint.2015.05.021 . . 2016QuInt.395...61R . 2022-03-04 . 2022-03-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220304233734/https://missioncaucase.hypotheses.org/files/2016/03/Ritz2015_Amasya-Syunik_QI_all%C3%A9g%C3%A9.pdf . live .
  10. Book: Manuel Berberian . Earthquakes and Coseismic Surface Faulting on the Iranian Plateau . 2014 . Elsevier . 9780444632920 . 63.
  11. Book: Mkhitar Gosh's Colophon . 12 July 2021 . 10 January 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230110110506/http://www.documentacatholicaomnia.eu/03d/1100-1200,_Mkhitar_Gosh,_The_Aghuanian_Chronicle_%5BThe_Armenia_History%5D,_EN.pdf . live .
  12. Vorobieva . I. . Ismail-Zadeh . A. . Gorshkov . A. . 2019 . Nonlinear dynamics of crustal blocks and faults and earthquake occurrences in the Transcaucasian region . Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors . 297 . 106320 . 10.1016/j.pepi.2019.106320 . 2019PEPI..29706320V . 210621325 . 2021-11-15 . 2022-09-30 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220930112637/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/336760167 . live .
  13. Web site: History of Ganja . ganca.net . 5 March 2022 . 23 October 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201023033704/http://www.ganca.net/eng/historyen.html . live .
  14. Significant Earthquake Information AZERBAIJAN: GYZNDZHA . ngdc.noaa.gov . 1972 . National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service (NGDC/WDS): NCEI/WDS Global Significant Earthquake Database. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information . 10.7289/V5TD9V7K . 4 June 2021 . National Geophysical Data Center . 30 September 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220930112649/https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/hazel/view/hazards/earthquake/event-more-info/402 . live .
  15. Ибн ал-Асир. Тарих-ал-камиль. О победе султана Махмуда над курджами. Перевод П. К. Жузе. Текст воспроизведен по изданию: Материалы по истории Азербайджана из Тарих-ал-камиль (полного свода истории) Ибн-ал-Асира. Баку. АзФан. 1940.
  16. Book: Guidoboni . Emanuela . Comastri . Alberto . Catalogue of earthquakes and tsunamis in the Mediterranean area from the 11th to the 15th century . 2005 . Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (Roma).
  17. Web site: Распахнутся снова ворота Гянджи . Trend.Az . 4 March 2022 . ru . 6 April 2007 . 6 November 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191106125855/https://www.trend.az/life/socium/907158.html . live .
  18. Web site: Гянджинские ворота . kataloq.gomap.az . 4 March 2022 . ru . 30 September 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220930112644/https://kataloq.gomap.az/ru/all-poi/culture/defensive-structure/8e127904d56611e0ad4900226424597dhttps://kataloq.gomap.az/ru/all-poi/culture/defensive-structure/8e127904d56611e0ad4900226424597d . dead .

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