Cyprus overdue a major earthquake?

ROBnJO


Joined: 30/06/2008
Posts: 1289

Message Posted:
07/04/2009 12:34

The Italian Fault Line continues to become the 'Cyprian Arc', curving around the south of the island.

That is why the southern coast has historically suffered the worst.



There is though, a further potential Fault Line running north of the Troodos Massif.



The next major earthquake in Cyprus is thought to be well overdue.



http://www.cypenv.info/cyprusee/files/earthquakes.aspx



&



http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/users/swdowinski/research-4.html

fire starter


Joined: 19/06/2008
Posts: 3401

Message Posted:
07/04/2009 16:38

the italian thing has made me think a bit about living here.

our house is one of the oldest in our village and still standing so i would hope we would be ok.

when was the last one in the north?

rocking


Joined: 05/11/2008
Posts: 421

Message Posted:
07/04/2009 18:02

Firestarter, we normally have small tremors I think the last one was about 1995/6 you see the water in the pools all sloshing around and feel as if you are giddy, lasts about 4/5 seconds. Older houses seem to withstand these sort of shocks and houses not correctly built finish up with very large cracks inside and outside. Paphos had quite a bit one in the 50s with quite a few deaths. But I think driving here is more dangerous than earthquakes.

waddo


Joined: 29/11/2008
Posts: 1966

Message Posted:
07/04/2009 18:20

The last one in Paphos - on the 6.? - was in the late 90's and I was on the Curium beach at the time. Sand flowed like water and every car alarm went off. Felt funny in the legs but apart from a few spilt beers there was no damage at that distance.



Very much doubt that Cyprus is overdue a major quake - no more than anywhere else - like the UK around 4 years ago - is. If it happens do not hide under the stairs, from what I have seen of the build quality out here probably better off outside than inside.

juliet


Joined: 11/01/2009
Posts: 612

Message Posted:
07/04/2009 18:25

i also remember the 1996 earthquake, 6.7 & very frightening, everything outside was swaying & the noise was horrendous, my friend was sat on the loo.. lets say a bidet was not needed...we have a lot of tremors & hopefully wont get another biggy for years to come... now i know why the buildings are built with iron girders in them.

ROBnJO


Joined: 30/06/2008
Posts: 1289

Message Posted:
07/04/2009 18:36

Sorry folks!



I wasn't trying to be alarmist, but the tragedy in Italy does make you stop & think,.... and also check that your Insurance has comprehensive Earthquake cover.



A few cracks can lead to an expensive rebuild.

keithcaley



Joined: 13/06/2008
Posts: 2521

Message Posted:
07/04/2009 18:45

Waddo,

I agree with what you say about the general (Not ALL!) build quality, but is it not a fact that more people are killed because they run outside, and roof tiles etc fall on them?

Best hide under the table then...

Keith.

Stewart


Joined: 19/07/2008
Posts: 1107

Message Posted:
07/04/2009 19:01

Sounds like the fault line runs along the green line....may be a good way to split the country once and for all...wot u think?



ps I remember 1996...was in bed went I felt a tremor...the wife told me to go back to sleep

Tootie


Joined: 28/08/2008
Posts: 2037

Message Posted:
07/04/2009 19:12

I live in Market rasen which had a 5.2 on 27 feb 2008.



I was asleep in bed and was woken by the noise it sounded like the earth was opening up this lasted around 15-20 seconds then the shaking came.

Very strange experiance the noise was nothing like you could describe.



All the birds were woken and going crazy, car alarms going off and everybody was out in the street with pyjamas.



There is a railway line running through the town and eveyone thought a train had derailed so went running up to see.



Very scary





tootie

AlsancakJack



Joined: 14/08/2008
Posts: 5762

Message Posted:
07/04/2009 19:18

Two sites that you may find interesting are:

http://www.iris.edu/seismon/

http://visz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/index.php?smp=&lang=eng

AJ

phylray



Joined: 21/09/2007
Posts: 1727

Message Posted:
07/04/2009 19:29

I thought the safest thing was to run out into an open space

But I guess there are dangers whatever you do. We felt one

in Istanbul 1988, relatively small, 4.5 or something, but it shook

the whole apartment & we were in bed at time. I could hear my

colleagues talking in German but as they didn't make a move I

fell asleep. We decided later if there was another we would run onto

Fehnerbahce football ground next door! Next day we read in papers

many folk went out into parks to spend the night. It is very frightening.

Brinsley


Joined: 04/04/2009
Posts: 6858

Message Posted:
07/04/2009 22:11

Wimps! Try being in one on the fifth floor of Castrol House, Wellington, NZ in the early '80's registering 4.1 on the Richter scale and then found out what it feels like! Shaken a bit, took the lift down to the ground floor, repaired to the nearest bar and sank a few Steinies to calm the nerves! The majority of NZ houses are built out of wood so they flex in quakes and the high rise office blocks are high spec earthquake proof structures.

Sorry, breaking news, a huge after shock has just hit Italy bringing more mayhem. BBC Radio 4 news.



Richard

Lilli



Joined: 21/07/2008
Posts: 13081

Message Posted:
07/04/2009 22:19

H Brinsley Im sorry you suffered that but after following the italian news its grim. Over 200 dead and so many homeless and to such and historic place you cant elp but pray for them. I know the Italian government will help as will all the red cross and various charties but how do you re build a life xxxxxx

phylray



Joined: 21/09/2007
Posts: 1727

Message Posted:
07/04/2009 23:11

We didn't need Steinies after our experience. Just went back to sleep



Ours was over 4.3 Richter scale. Don't think anyone would be a wimp to be

afraid, who wouldn't be? I can't think of anything worse than being in a block

that crumbles & lying buried.

elko2



Joined: 24/07/2007
Posts: 4400

Message Posted:
08/04/2009 09:55

I remember th earthquake in Paphos in the fifties. It happened after six in the morning, the bed was shaking and lasted about one minute. I think we had six deaths in the villages north of Ktima and we spent the next 12 months or so in the tents. It was an unforgettable experience. I think it wass September. We slept in the open for a few nights, then we shared a large tent with about 20 people for a week or so and then each family had a smaller tent. After month or so the authorities distributed clothes donated by other countries. How it was distributed is another story.

ismet

fire starter


Joined: 19/06/2008
Posts: 3401

Message Posted:
08/04/2009 10:10

hi elko

have we had any big ones in the north?

living up the mountian it does worry me.

elko2



Joined: 24/07/2007
Posts: 4400

Message Posted:
08/04/2009 10:36

The biggest one in my lifetime was the one in Phafos in the fifties but I believe that half of Salamis is now under the sea due to major earthquakes many centuries ago. So just relax and try to sing Oh Carol, whatever will be will be

ismet

fire starter


Joined: 19/06/2008
Posts: 3401

Message Posted:
08/04/2009 10:56

thanks elko.

ROBnJO


Joined: 30/06/2008
Posts: 1289

Message Posted:
08/04/2009 11:35

From my first link in msg1:



"In 1956, I remember snorkelling at Salamis and marvelled at the harbour quays a couple of metres under the surface. The rows of amphorae, ready for loading on boats, were clearly visible, as were numerous other artefacts dating from 1600 years earlier. The level of the land dropped an estimated 4 metres in a single earthquake which must have had an intensity of at least 8 on the Richter scale, probably more. At Kourion, there is evidence that the city was probably down to sea level and one person has claimed it was initially destroyed by a tsunami and then rose to its present level by seismic elevation, some ten years later.



In recent times, one earthquake in September 1953 in the Paphos region caused considerable destruction and killed 63 persons. Since then, there have been few severe ones with relatively little destruction and few fatalities."