1958 Kuril Islands earthquake

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Kurilsk

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Kurilsk

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UTC time| 1958-11-06 22:58:09
ISC event| 885402
USGS-ANSS| ComCat
Local date| November 7, 1958 (1958-11-07)
Local time| 09:58:09
Magnitude| Mw 8.3–8.4, Ms 7.9–8.5[i]
Depth| 35–40 km (22–25 mi)
Epicenter| 44°28′44″N 148°27′00″E﻿ / ﻿44.479°N 148.45°E﻿ / 44.479; 148.45
Areas affected| Soviet Union
Max. intensity| MMI X (Extreme)
Tsunami| 5 m (16 ft)

The 1958 Kuril Islands earthquake or Etorofu earthquake was a Mw 8.3–8.4 earthquake that struck near the Kuril island of Iturup on November 6, 1958, at 22:58 UTC, or 09:58 on the 7th local time. The earthquake occurred as the result of shallow reverse faulting along the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench, and caused Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) X (Extreme) shaking, as well as a tsunami 5 m (16 ft) high. Iturup sustained significant damage as a result of the shaking and tsunami, with other locations along the Kuril Islands also reporting strong damage.

## Tectonic setting[edit]

The Kuril islands lie along the seismically active convergent boundary between the Pacific Plate and the Okhotsk Plate (a microplate within the North American Plate).[7] The trench that accommodates this subduction—the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench, accommodates the convergence at a rate of 80 mm (3.1 in)/yr, with rates increasing from north to south.[7] This active subduction zone spawns many large Kamchatka earthquakes with strong earthquakes along the trench occurring in 1737, 1841, February 1923, April 1923, 1952, 1959, and in 1963.

## Earthquake[edit]

The earthquake struck at 09:58 on November 7 locally, or 22:58 on the 6th in UTC. The earthquake occurred at a depth of 35–40 km (22–25 mi), with a moment magnitude of Mw 8.3–8.4.[1] The International Seismological Centre estimated the surface wave magnitude for this event at Ms 8.2 ± 0.3.[2] Maximum felt intensities associated with the earthquake were X (Extreme) on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale in Lake Iturup.[8] The earthquake occurred as the result of reverse faulting along the Kuril-Kamchatka trench. Despite having a relatively short aftershock area of 150–170 km (93–106 mi) long by 70–80 km (43–50 mi) wide, the earthquake had a high stress drop and large felt area. A 1979 study attributes this to an unusually long interval between ruptures, which allowed more stress to build up.[4][9]

## Tsunami[edit]

The tsunami from this earthquake reportedly reached up to 5 m (16 ft) in height at Shikotan Island, 2–4 m (6 ft 7 in – 13 ft 1 in) at Iturup, and up to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) in northern Hokkaido.[10] Midway and Hawaii also recorded many runups, including a 0.3 m (1 ft 0 in) measurement in Kahului, Maui, and a 0.2 m (7.9 in) runup in Midway. Attu Island, Alaska and Wake Island recorded 0.2 m (7.9 in) tsunami, with Kwajalein, Marshall Islands, Pagopago, Samoa recording 0.1 m (3.9 in).[11] In California, San Francisco recorded 0.2 m (7.9 in) tsunami heights,[12] and Port Hueneme recorded tsunami as well. Tsunami waves reached as far as Talara, Peru.[11] A tsunami warning was issued for coastal Hokkaido and portions of Honshu, however the feared tsunami failed to materialize.[13]

A Mw 7.0[14] aftershock on November 12 caused another tsunami with runups reaching 1 m (3 ft 3 in) at Iturup and 42 cm (17 in) at Hachinohe, Japan.[10] Sweeper Cove in Adak Island recorded a 0.1 m (3.9 in) tsunami, which was larger than that of the mainshock's in the same area.[11]

## Damage[edit]

Lake Iturup sustained the greatest damage, with many older buildings ruined, moved furniture, and cracks in the cement basins of fisheries. Lake Kunashir also suffered severe damage, with reports of appliances and buildings being destroyed. Various physical changes occurred in the Kuril Islands such as "agitated" bodies of water, changes in the level of ground-water, landslides, earth creeps, creation and destruction of hot springs, and new fissures forming.[15] Kushiro sustained lesser damage including cut telephone lines and halted trains.[13] Miyako in Iwate suffered some damage to its oyster bed.[10]

## Notes[edit]

1. ^ Mw 8.3,[1] Mw 8.4[2]
Ms 8.1,[3] Ms 8.2 ± 0.3[2]
mb 8.2[4]
Mt 8.2[3]
Mm 8.64[5]
Muk 8.7[6]

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b "M 8.3 – 95 km SSE of Kuril'sk, Russia". United States Geological Survey. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
2. ^ a b c International Seismological Centre. Bulletin of the ISC. Thatcham, United Kingdom. [Event 885402].
3. ^ a b Abe 1979.
4. ^ a b Fukao & Furumoto 1979.
5. ^ Okal 1992.
6. ^ Rothé 1969, p. 147.
7. ^ a b Bürgmann et al. 2005.
8. ^ "NGDC". NGDC. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
9. ^ Mogi 1968, p. 178.
10. ^ a b c "Catalog of Tsunamis in Japan and Its Neighboring Countries". Tsunami Digital Library. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
11. ^ a b c Iida, Cox & Pararas-Carayannis 1967.
12. ^ Lander & Lockridge 1989.
13. ^ a b Rothé 1969, p. 156.
14. ^ "M 7.0 – 132 km SSE of Kuril'sk, Russia". United States Geological Survey. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
15. ^ Kondorskaya, Shebalin & Khrometskaya 1982, p. 533.

Sources

* Abe, Katsuyuki (1979). "Size of great earthquakes of 1837–1974 inferred from tsunami data". Journal of Geophysical Research. 84 (B4): 1561–1568. Bibcode:1979JGR....84.1561A. doi:10.1029/JB084iB04p01561. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
* Bürgmann, Roland; Kogan, Mikhail G.; Steblov, Grigory M.; Hilley, George; Levin, Vasily E.; Apel, Edwin (19 July 2005). "Interseismic coupling and asperity distribution along the Kamchatka subduction zone". Journal of Geophysical Research. 110 (B7). Bibcode:2005JGRB..110.7405B. doi:10.1029/2005JB003648. S2CID 129123498.
* Fukao, Yoshio; Furumoto, Muneyoshi (1 April 1979). "Stress drops, wave spectra and recurrence intervals of great earthquakes – implications of the Etorofu earthquake of 1958 November 6". Geophysical Journal International. 57 (1): 23–40. Bibcode:1979GeoJ...57...23F. doi:10.1111/j.1365-246X.1979.tb03769.x. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
* Kondorskaya, N. V.; Shebalin, N.; Khrometskaya, Y. A. (1982). A. Gvishiani (ed.). New catalog of strong earthquakes in the U.S.S.R. from ancient times through 1977. Boulder, Colorado: World Data Center A for Solid Earth Geophysics. p. 455. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
* Iida, Kumizi; Cox, Doak C.; Pararas-Carayannis, George (1967-08-01). preliminary catalog of tsunamis occurring in the pacific ocean (PDF) (Report). Retrieved 2023-07-31.

Earthquake in 1958 located near the Kuril Islands

* Lander, James F.; Lockridge, P. A. (1989). United States Tsunamis, (including United States possessions) 1690–1988: Publication 41-2 (PDF). United States Department of Commerce.
* Mogi, Kiyoo (1968). "Development of Aftershock Areas of Great Earthquakes" (PDF). Bulletin of the Earthquake Research Institute. 46: 175–203. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
* Okal, Emile A. (March 1992). "Use of the mantle magnitudeM m for the reassessment of the moment of historical earthquakes". Pure and Applied Geophysics. 139 (1): 17–57. Bibcode:1992PApGe.139...17O. doi:10.1007/BF00876825. S2CID 129383199. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
* Rothé, Jean Pierre (1969). The Seismicity of the earth: 1953-1965. Paris, France: UNESCO. Retrieved 31 July 2023.

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* e

Earthquakes in the 1950s

1952|

* Hasankale (5.8, Jan 3) †
* Hokkaido (8.1, March 2) †
* San Juan (6.8, June 11)
* Kern County (7.3, July 21)
* Damxung (7.5, August 18) †
* Severo-Kurilsk (9.0, Nov 5) †‡

1953|

* Torud (6.6, Feb 12) †
* Yenice–Gönen (7.5, March 18) ‡†
* Concepción (7.6, May 6)
* Ionian (6.8, Aug 12) †
* Cyprus (6.5, Sep 10) †
* Suva (6.8, Sept 14)
* Tumbes (7.5, Dec 12)

1954|

* Adelaide (5.6, Mar 1)
* Sofades (7.0, Apr 30) †
* Rainbow Mountain-Fairview Peak-Dixie Valley (6.0-7.1, July 6-Mar 23 1959)
* Chlef (6.7, Sep 9) ‡†

1956|

* Budapest (5.8, Jan 12)
* Chim (4.8 & 5.1, March 16) †
* 1956 Atarfe-Albolote (5.0, Apr 19)
* Afghanistan (7.3, Jun 10) ‡†
* Amorgos (7.7, July 9) †
* Sagaing (7.1, July 16) †
* Anjar (6.1, July 21) †
* Nicaragua (7.3, Oct 24) †

1957|

* Andreanof Islands (8.6, March 9)
* San Francisco (5.7, March 22)
* Fethiye (6.2, April 24 - 7.1 April 25)
* Abant (7.1, May 26) †
* Sangchal (7.1, July 2) †‡
* Guerrero (7.6, July 28) †
* Mongolia (8.1, December 4)
* Farsinaj (6.5, December 13) †‡

1959|

* Rainbow Mountain-Fairview Peak-Dixie Valley (6.0-7.1, July 6 1954-Mar 23 1959)
* Kamchatka (8.0, May 4)
* Hengchun (7.1, Aug 15)
* Coatzacoalcos (6.4, Aug 26)
* Hebgen Lake (7.3–7.5, Aug 17) ‡

† indicates earthquake resulting in at least 30 deaths
‡ indicates the deadliest earthquake of the year

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Earthquakes in Russia

Historical|

* 1737 Kamchatka
* 1840 Ahora
* 1841 Kamchatka
* 1887 Verny
* 1889 Chilik

20th century|

* 1902 Turkestan
* 1907 Qaratog
* 1911 Kebin
* 1911 Sarez
* 1918 Kuril Islands
* February 1923 Kamchatka
* April 1923 Kamchatka
* 1926 Kars earthquake
* 1927 Crimean
* 1929 Kopet Dag
* 1931 Zangezur
* 1946 Chatkal
* 1948 Ashgabat
* 1949 Khait
* 1952 Severo-Kurilsk
* 1959 Kamchatka
* 1963 Kuril Islands
* 1966 Tashkent
* 1970 Dagestan
* 1976 Osmussaar
* 1988 Armenian
* 1983 Hindu Kush
* 1990 Hindu Kush
* 1991 Hindu Kush
* 1991 Racha
* 1994 Kuril Islands
* 1995 Neftegorsk
* 1997 Kamchatka

21st century|

* 2003 Altai
* 2006 Kamchatka
* 2006 Kuril Islands
* 2007 Kuril Islands
* 2008 Chechnya
* 2013 Okhotsk Sea
* 2017 Komandorski Islands

Related articles|

* Kamchatka earthquakes
* Kuril–Kamchatka Trench

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