The 1746 Lima–Callao earthquake occurred at on 28 October with a moment magnitude of 8.6–8.8 and a maximum
Mercalli intensity
The Modified Mercalli intensity scale (MM, MMI, or MCS), developed from Giuseppe Mercalli's Mercalli intensity scale of 1902, is a seismic intensity scale used for measuring the intensity of shaking produced by an earthquake. It measures the eff ...
of XI (''Extreme''). The
epicenter
The epicenter, epicentre () or epicentrum in seismology is the point on the Earth's surface directly above a hypocenter or focus, the point where an earthquake or an underground explosion originates.
Surface damage
Before the instrumental pe ...
was located about north-northwest of the capital
Lima
Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of the central coastal part of ...
, which was almost completely destroyed, and the subsequent
tsunami
A tsunami ( ; from ja, 津波, lit=harbour wave, ) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater exp ...
devastated the port city of
Callao. It was the deadliest earthquake in Peru’s history prior to the
1970 earthquake.
Tectonic setting
Peru lies above the
convergent boundary
A convergent boundary (also known as a destructive boundary) is an area on Earth where two or more lithospheric plates collide. One plate eventually slides beneath the other, a process known as subduction. The subduction zone can be defined by a ...
where the
Nazca Plate is
subducting
Subduction is a geological process in which the oceanic lithosphere is recycled into the Earth's mantle at convergent boundaries. Where the oceanic lithosphere of a tectonic plate converges with the less dense lithosphere of a second plate, the ...
beneath the
South American Plate at a rate of 61 mm per year. It has been the location for many large and damaging earthquakes since historical records began, most of which triggered devastating tsunamis. The southern segment of the Peruvian part of this plate boundary is affected by the presence of the
Nazca
Nazca (; sometimes spelled Nasca; qu, Naska) is a city and system of valleys on the southern coast of Peru. It is also the name of the largest existing town in the Nazca Province. The name is derived from the Nazca culture, which flourished in ...
aseismic ridge, on the downgoing plate. It also marks a major change in the subduction geometry between 'flat-slab' subduction to the northwest and normally dipping subduction to the southeast. The ridge appears to act as a barrier to rupture propagation, reducing the potential earthquake magnitude. The 1746 earthquake is interpreted to be a
megathrust event that ruptured the whole of the northern segment of the plate interface within this zone.
Earthquake
The earthquake, with an estimated magnitude of 8.6–8.8
Mw,
[ was the largest to strike central Peru in recorded history, and the second largest of all time, after the 1868 Arica earthquake in the south of the country. Significant damage from the earthquake affected an area of about 44,000 square kilometers and it was felt up to 750 km away.][ The estimated rupture length was 350 km.] There were at least 200 aftershocks observed in the first 24 hours after the mainshock, out of a total of 1,700 recorded in the following 112 days, although they caused no further casualties or significant damage.
Damage
Earthquake
The earthquake completely destroyed the city of Lima
Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of the central coastal part of ...
in 3–4 minutes, and also destroyed Callao and everything else along the central Peruvian coast from Chancay
Chancay is a small city located north of Lima. Its population is 63,378. The Chancay culture was a pre-Columbian archaeological culture, later part of the Inca Empire.
History
It was founded in 1562 under the name of Villa de Arnedo.
The ma ...
in the north to Cañete in the south. In Lima, all offices and all 74 churches were either damaged or destroyed leaving just 25 of the original 3,000 houses standing. Only 1,141 out of the population of 60,000 died in Lima from the earthquake shaking, despite the amount of damage. This is attributed to the intensity of the shaking increasing as the earthquake went on, giving the inhabitants the chance to escape. The total number of casualties, including those from the tsunami, was almost 6,000, although some chroniclers give higher figures for Lima, partly due to the inclusion of the effects of subsequent epidemics.[
]
Tsunami
The earthquake triggered a tsunami
A tsunami ( ; from ja, 津波, lit=harbour wave, ) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater exp ...
, which reached the coast half an hour following the shock, causing great damage at all Peruvian ports. Callao was worst affected, with a 24-meter runup, and 5 kilometer inundation that destroyed all 23 vessels that were in its harbor. Callao's walls were destroyed and the city was inundated, killing most of the 5–6,000 inhabitants, leaving less than two hundred survivors.[ Those that tried to escape inland were overtaken by the wave.] Eyewitness accounts indicate two waves, the first of which was up to high. Four of the boats were carried across the ruined port and thrown up to nearly a mile inland, including the warships ''Fermín'' and ''San Antonio''. The port city of Pisco
Pisco is a colorless or yellowish-to-amber colored brandy produced in winemaking regions of Peru and Chile. Made by distilling fermented grape juice into a high-proof spirit, it was developed by 16th-century Spanish settlers as an alternative ...
was destroyed, despite having been rebuilt further inland after the devastating tsunami that accompanied the 1687 Peru earthquake
The 1687 Peru earthquake occurred at 11:30 UTC on 20 October. It had an estimated magnitude of 8.4–8.7 and caused severe damage to Lima, Callao and Ica. It triggered a tsunami and overall about 5,000 people died.
Tectonic setting
The earth ...
. The tsunami was also noticed at Acapulco, Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
. Other particularly devastating tsunamis have occurred in Peru in 1586
Events
* January 18 – The 7.9 Tenshō earthquake strikes the Chubu region of Japan, triggering a tsunami and causing at least 8,000 deaths.
* June 16 – The deposed and imprisoned Mary, Queen of Scots, recognizes Philip II of ...
, 1604
Events
January–June
* January 1 – '' The Masque of Indian and China Knights'' is performed by courtiers of James VI and I at Hampton Court.
* January 14 – The Hampton Court Conference is held between James I of England ...
, and 1868
Events
January–March
* January 2 – British Expedition to Abyssinia: Robert Napier leads an expedition to free captive British officials and missionaries.
* January 3 – The 15-year-old Mutsuhito, Emperor Meiji of Jap ...
.
Aftermath
The rebuilding of Lima was planned by Jose Antonio Manso de Velasco then the viceroy of Peru
The viceroys of Peru ruled the Viceroyalty of Peru from 1544 to 1824 in the name of the monarch of Spain. The territories under ''de jure'' rule by the viceroys included in the 16th and 17th century almost all of South America except eastern Braz ...
, with the help of the French mathematician Louis Godin
Louis Godin (28 February 1704 – 11 September 1760) was a French astronomer and member of the French Academy of Sciences. He worked in Peru, Spain, Portugal and France.
Biography
Godin was born in Paris; his parents were François Godin and Eli ...
. A key part of these proposals was to restrict buildings to a single storey and widen the roads, but the plans were diluted following opposition from groups within the city and second floors were allowed as long as they used bamboo in their construction rather than adobe bricks.
In 1817, 70 years after the earthquake and the tsunami, the Russian-American Company
The Russian-American Company Under the High Patronage of His Imperial Majesty (russian: Под высочайшим Его Императорского Величества покровительством Российская-Американс ...
employee, head of the Sitka
russian: Ситка
, native_name_lang = tli
, settlement_type = Consolidated city-borough
, image_skyline = File:Sitka 84 Elev 135.jpg
, image_caption = Downtown Sitka in 1984
, image_size ...
office, Kiril Timofeevich Khlebnikov (1784–1838) visited Callao. His account of the events of what happened on 28 October 1746 may have slight factual mistakes, but he is generally considered a good witness of things he saw with his own eyes, and his attitude in writing history is characterised as sober and realistic. It is also known that he kept a diary. Khlebnikov wrote in his memoirs:[Кирилъ Тимоѳеевичъ Хлѣбниковъ: “Взглядъ на полвѣка моей жизни”, ''Сынъ отечества'', 1836, часть CLXXV, p. 371–372.]
Remembrance
Because the mural of the Lord of Miracles
The Lord of Miracles (in Spanish: ''Señor de los Milagros''), also known as "Christ of Miracles", is an image painted of Jesus Christ that is venerated in Lima, Peru. The image was painted during the 17th century by Benito or Pedro Dalcon, ...
survived the earthquake intact, it became a special object of veneration in the city. There is an annual procession in which the image is carried through the streets of Lima, and it is customary for the faithful to wear purple during the month of October in commemoration.
See also
*
* List of earthquakes in Peru
Earthquakes in Peru are common occurrences as the country is located in a seismic zone. The interface between the Nazca and South American tectonic plates is located near the Peruvian coast. The South American Plate is moving over the Nazca Plate ...
* List of historical earthquakes
Historical earthquakes is a list of significant earthquakes known to have occurred prior to the beginning of the 20th century. As the events listed here occurred before routine instrumental recordings, they rely mainly on the analysis of written ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:1746 Lima-Callao Earthquake
Lima-Callao
Lima
Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of the central coastal part of ...
Megathrust earthquakes in Peru
1746 tsunamis
History of Lima