   | |
| UTC time | 1856-10-12 00:45 |
|---|---|
| Local date | 11–12 October 1856 |
| Local time | 02:38 am or 02:45 am EET |
| Duration | 2 minutes |
| Magnitude | 7.7–8.3 Mw |
| Depth | 61–100 km |
| Epicenter | 35°30′N 26°00′E / 35.5°N 26.0°E |
| Type | Intraplate |
| Areas affected | Mediterranean Sea |
| Max. intensity | MMI XI (Extreme)–MMI XII (Extreme) |
| Tsunami | Unlikely |
| Aftershocks | Yes |
| Casualties | 600+ dead 600+ injured |
The 1856 Heraklion earthquake, also known as the Crete earthquake or Rhodes earthquake, occurred on the morning of October 12 at 02:45 am local time.[1] This extremely catastrophic earthquake had an estimated magnitude of 7.7 to 8.3 at a depth of approximately 61 to 100 km.[2] The earthquake was felt over a very wide area extending from Sicily, Italy to the Levant and North Africa.[3] On the Greek island of Crete, the effects of the earthquake were cataclysmic, over 500 bodies were recovered in the city of Heraklion. Shockwaves from the earthquake were felt intensely, covering all of the Ottoman Empire; present-day Turkey, Cyprus and the Middle East where damage and human losses were reported. In Malta, the Għajn Ħadid Tower—a coastal watchtower built around the year 1638—was severely damaged in the earthquake, when its upper floor collapsed. In Cairo, Egypt, the earthquake destroyed buildings, created seiches in canals, and killed several people. Off the Egyptian and Italian coasts, sailors reported feeling a seaquake.[4]
- ^ Y. Altinok; B. Alpar; N. Özer; C. Gazioglu (2005). "1881 and 1949 earthquakes at the Chios-Cesme Strait (Aegean Sea) and their relation to tsunamis". Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences. 5 (5). Copernicus Publications s on behalf of the European Geosciences Union: 717–725. Bibcode:2005NHESS...5..717A. doi:10.5194/nhess-5-717-2005. S2CID 14989944.
- ^ "Seismicity Catalog (550 B.C. - 2010)". Seismological Station. Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
- ^ Papadopoulos, Gerassimos; Vassilopoulos, A. (2001). "Historical and Archaeological Evidence of Earthquakes and Tsunamis Felt in the Kythira Strait, Greece.". Tsunami Research at the End of a Critical Decade. Kluwer. pp. 119–183. ISBN 978-90-481-5909-3.
- ^ G. A. Papadopoulos; E. Daskalaki; A. Fokaefs; N. Giraleas. "Tsunami hazard in the eastern Mediterranean Sea: Strong earthquakes and tsunamis in the west Hellenic Arc and Trench system" (PDF). Journal of Earthquake and Tsunami. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2021-01-04.