Local date | 10 October 1790 |
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Magnitude | Muk 6.0–6.5 |
Epicenter | 35°54′N 0°36′E / 35.9°N 0.6°E[1] |
Areas affected | Algeria, Spain and Tunisia |
Max. intensity | EMS-98 VIII (Heavily damaging) – EMS-98 X (Very destructive) |
Tsunami | Minor |
Casualties | 3,000 dead[1] |
The 1790 Oran earthquake occurred on 10 October, striking near the coastal city of Oran in Algeria. The earthquake had an evaluated maximum seismic intensity of VIII–X on the European macroseismic scale (EMS-98). An estimated 3,000 people died during the earthquake and accompanying tsunami.[1] The magnitude of this earthquake has been disputed among members of the paleoseismology field, with estimates ranging from 7.5 to even as small as 5.5.