Archaeoseismological Evidence of Seismic Damage at Medina Azahara (Córdoba, Spain) from the Early 11th Century

Rodríguez-Pascua, Miguel Ángel; Perucha, María Ángeles; Silva, Pablo G.; Córdoba, Alberto Javier Montejo; Giner-Robles, J.L.; Élez, Javier; Sánchez-Sánchez, Yolanda; Roquero, Elvira

doi:10.3390/app13031601

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…Several studies have reported the several types of damage to historical buildings caused by earthquakes [9,13,14,54,58,63,69,[124][125][126][127][128][129][130][131][132][133]. The type of damage, such as, for example, displaced tilted walls, is dependent on the orientation of the wall with respect to the horizontal component of the seismic waves [14,62,66].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The type of damage, such as, for example, displaced tilted walls, is dependent on the orientation of the wall with respect to the horizontal component of the seismic waves [14,62,66]. The orientation of the fallen columns depends on the propagation direction of the seismic waves [14,15,96,129,130].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It has been observed during several recent earthquakes, such as the 2015 Gorkha earthquake, that taller structures sitting in an alluvial basin may face strong shaking due to site amplification and topple from the top or completely collapse depending on the nature of the material used and type of construction [130].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Archeoseismic Study of Damage in Medieval Monuments around New Delhi, India: An Approach to Understanding Paleoseismicity in an Intraplate Region

Naik,

Reicherter,

Kázmér

et al. 2024

GeoHazards

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The seismic shaking observed around Delhi and the surrounding region due to near-field and far-field earthquakes is a matter of concern for the seismic safety of the national capital of India, as well as the historical monuments of the region. Historical seismicity indicates that the Delhi region has been affected by several damaging earthquakes originating from the Himalayan region as far-field events, as well as due to near-field earthquakes with epicenters close to Delhi. The historical records, along with recent archeoseismological studies, suggest that Qutab Minar, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was damaged by the earthquake of 1803 CE. This event represents the only evidence of seismic damage from the region, as there has been no detailed study of other historical monuments in the area or earthquakes that have caused damage. In this context, the earthquake damage to other monuments might have been overlooked to some extent around the Qutab Minar due to the lack of proper earthquake damage surveys and documentation in historical times. The main goal of this study is to identify evidence of earthquake archeological effects around the Qutab Minar and to shed new light on the occurrence and characteristics of ancient earthquakes while providing data to inform seismic risk assessment programs. With this aim, we describe different earthquake-related damage (EAE, earthquake archeological effects) at the Isa Khan Tomb and Humayun’s Tomb, built between 1548 CE and 1570 CE, respectively, as well as the older Tomb of Iltutmish (built in 1235 CE) along with the Qutab Minar, which was built between 1199 CE and 1220 CE. The damage was probably caused by seismic events with intensities between VIII and IX on the European Macroseismic Scale (EMS). Based on the methodology of paleo ShakeMaps, it is most likely that the 1803 CE earthquake was the causative earthquake for the observed deformation in the Isa Khan Tomb, Tomb of Iltutmish, and Humayun’s Tomb. More detailed regional paleoseismological studies are required to identify the responsible fault. In conclusion, the impressive cultural heritage of Delhi city and the intraplate region is constantly under seismic threats from near-field earthquakes and far-field Himalayan earthquakes.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Archeoseismic Study of Damage in Medieval Monuments around New Delhi, India: An Approach to Understanding Paleoseismicity in an Intraplate Region

Naik,

Reicherter,

Kázmér

et al. 2024

GeoHazards

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Deformed archaeological remains at Lilybaeum in Western Sicily (southern Italy): possible ground signatures of a missed large earthquake

Barreca,

Pepe,

Sulli

et al. 2024

Nat Hazards

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Archaeoseismic analysis performed in Western Sicily points to deformed archeological remains at Lilybaeum, a Punic coastal city founded in 397 B.C. at the Island’s westernmost edge. Starting from the direct observation of deformed ruins, an interdisciplinary work strategy, which included field-structural analysis, drone-shot high-resolution aerial photogrammetry, and geophysical prospecting, was employed to investigate whether the identified deformations may represent the ground effects of a previously unknown large earthquake in the area. Among the unearthed remains, some mosaics and a stone-paved monumental avenue show evidence of tectonic deformation, being fractured, folded, and uplifted. The trend of folding and fracturing is consistent with the NNW–SSE oriented tectonic max stress axis to which Western Sicily is currently subjected. Displacement along a fracture deforming the Decumanus Maximus together with the finding of a domino-type directional collapse, enable us to interpret the observed deformation as the ground signature of a coseismic slip. The seismic rupture occurred along a previously unmapped deformation front that fits well within the seismotectonic context of Western Sicily. Measured offset, geophysical prospecting, and age-constraints all suggest the possibility that a highly-energetic earthquake nucleated in the area following a coseismic rupture along a NE–SW trending back-verging reverse fault towards the end of the fourth century CE. Since seismic catalogs do not provide evidence of such a large earthquake, this event might represent a missed entry in the historical seismic record. This finding provides constraints to redefine the seismic hazard of Western Sicily, a region where recurrence-time intervals for large earthquakes are still unknown.

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A novel view of the destruction of Pompeii during the 79 CE eruption of Vesuvius (Italy): syn-eruptive earthquakes as an additional cause of building collapse and deaths

Sparice,

Amoretti,

Galadini

et al. 2024

Front. Earth Sci.

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The ancient city of Pompeii, destroyed by the 79 CE Plinian eruption of Vesuvius, is one of the most famous archaeological sites worldwide and an open-air laboratory for many disciplines. The destruction of Pompeii has so far been reconstructed in terms of a succession of volcanic phenomena and related effects, identified as the accumulation of pumice lapilli on roofs and dynamic pressure exerted by pyroclastic currents on buildings, and neglecting the potential effects of the syn-eruptive seismicity, the occurrence of which is beautifully described by an erudite eyewitness to the catastrophe, Pliny the Younger. During a recent excavation in the Insula dei Casti Amanti, in the central part of Pompeii, the peculiar evidence of building collapses, that overwhelmed two individuals, has been uncovered. The multidisciplinary investigation, involving archaeology, volcanology, and anthropology, gathered information on the construction technique of the masonry structures, the volcanological stratigraphy, the traumatic pattern of bone fractures of the skeletons, along with the detection of the wall displacements, that led to archaeoseismological considerations. The merging of the data has highlighted the need of an updated perspective in the assessment of the damage at Pompeii during the 79 CE eruption, by considering the syn-eruptive seismicity as a factor contributing to the destruction of the city and death of the inhabitants. By comparing the attitude and characteristics of different types of damage, and after ruling out any other possible damaging event, our conclusions point to the occurrence of syn-eruptive earthquake-induced failures of masonry structures. The structural collapses, based on our stratigraphic and volcanological data, are chronologically consistent with the beginning of the caldera-forming phase of the eruption which was accompanied by strong seismic shocks. The crush injuries of the skeletons of the two individuals are consistent with severe compression traumas and analogous to those shown by individuals involved in modern earthquakes testifying that, apart from other volcanic phenomena, the effects of syn-eruptive seismicity may be relevant. These outcomes lay the foundation for a more extensive study concerning the assessment of the contribution of the syn-eruptive seismic destruction at Pompeii and open new perspectives for volcanological, archaeoseismological and paleopathological studies.

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Archaeoseismological Evidence of Seismic Damage at Medina Azahara (Córdoba, Spain) from the Early 11th Century

Cited by 3 publications

References 38 publications

Archeoseismic Study of Damage in Medieval Monuments around New Delhi, India: An Approach to Understanding Paleoseismicity in an Intraplate Region

Archeoseismic Study of Damage in Medieval Monuments around New Delhi, India: An Approach to Understanding Paleoseismicity in an Intraplate Region

Deformed archaeological remains at Lilybaeum in Western Sicily (southern Italy): possible ground signatures of a missed large earthquake

A novel view of the destruction of Pompeii during the 79 CE eruption of Vesuvius (Italy): syn-eruptive earthquakes as an additional cause of building collapse and deaths

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