1861 Mendoza earthquake
Encyclopedia
The 1861 Mendoza earthquake was a major seismic movement
in the province
of Mendoza
, Argentina
. It took place on 20 March 1861, at 11:30 PM. It had a magnitude of 7.2 on the Surface wave magnitude
scale and an intensity of IX in the Mercalli scale
. Its hypocenter
was located at an estimated depth of 30 kilometres (19 mi).
The earthquake devastated the provincial capital, Mendoza
, killing 4,300 of its 12,000 residents and injured 750. http://www.inpres.gov.ar/seismology/seismology/historic/hist.panel.htm Most of the buildings were destroyed, including the cabildo (colonial government house). The town was rebuilt in a nearby location, and the authorities moved to their new seat in 1863. The new constructions, which incorporated modern architectural tendencies, were markedly different from the old colonial buildings.
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
in the province
Provinces of Argentina
Argentina is subdivided into twenty-three provinces and one autonomous city...
of Mendoza
Mendoza Province
The Province of Mendoza is a province of Argentina, located in the western central part of the country in the Cuyo region. It borders to the north with San Juan, the south with La Pampa and Neuquén, the east with San Luis, and to the west with the republic of Chile; the international limit is...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. It took place on 20 March 1861, at 11:30 PM. It had a magnitude of 7.2 on the Surface wave magnitude
Surface wave magnitude
The surface wave magnitude scale is one of the magnitude scales used in seismology to describe the size of an earthquake. It is based on measurements in Rayleigh surface waves that travel primarily along the uppermost layers of the earth...
scale and an intensity of IX in the Mercalli scale
Mercalli intensity scale
The Mercalli intensity scale is a seismic scale used for measuring the intensity of an earthquake. It measures the effects of an earthquake, and is distinct from the moment magnitude M_w usually reported for an earthquake , which is a measure of the energy released...
. Its hypocenter
Hypocenter
The hypocenter refers to the site of an earthquake or a nuclear explosion...
was located at an estimated depth of 30 kilometres (19 mi).
The earthquake devastated the provincial capital, Mendoza
Mendoza, Argentina
Mendoza is the capital city of Mendoza Province, in Argentina. It is located in the northern-central part of the province, in a region of foothills and high plains, on the eastern side of the Andes. As of the , Mendoza's population was 110,993...
, killing 4,300 of its 12,000 residents and injured 750. http://www.inpres.gov.ar/seismology/seismology/historic/hist.panel.htm Most of the buildings were destroyed, including the cabildo (colonial government house). The town was rebuilt in a nearby location, and the authorities moved to their new seat in 1863. The new constructions, which incorporated modern architectural tendencies, were markedly different from the old colonial buildings.