Local date | 11 January 1839 |
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Local time | 06:00 am AST |
Magnitude | 7.7–7.8 Ms 7.5–8.0 Mw |
Depth | 33 km |
Epicenter | 14°30′N 60°30′W / 14.5°N 60.5°W |
Type | Megathrust |
Areas affected | Lesser Antilles |
Total damage | > 15 million Francs |
Max. intensity | MMI IX (Violent) |
Tsunami | None |
Landslides | Yes |
Casualties | 390–4,000 dead 28,975 injured |
The 1839 Martinique earthquake occurred on the morning of January 11 with an estimated magnitude of 7.8 Ms , the largest in the Lesser Antilles since 1690.[1] The maximum intensity of this earthquake was assigned IX on both the Mercalli and MSK intensity scales, which left the cities of Saint-Pierre and Fort Royal almost completely destroyed. Estimation on the number of human losses varies from 390 to 4,000 making this one of the deadliest earthquakes in the Caribbean.