When was the Spitak earthquake?

December 7, 1988
1988 Armenian earthquake/Start dates

December 7, 1988 at 11:41 local time in Armenia a devastated earthquake took place. A series of aftershocks in 30 seconds almost destroyed the city of Spitak and inflicted heavy destruction to the city Leninakan (now Gyumri), Kirovakan (now Vanadzor) and Stepanavan.

How many people died in the Armenian earthquake of 1988?

60,000 people
Two earthquakes hit Armenia on December 7, 1988, killing 60,000 people and destroying nearly half a million buildings. The two tremors, only minutes apart, were measured at 6.9 and 5.8 in magnitude and were felt as far away as Georgia, Turkey and Iran.

Was there a big earthquake in 1988?

Still Recovering: Armenia’s Catastrophic Earthquake, 30 Years Later. On December 7, 1988, an earthquake shattered the north of Soviet Armenia. Three decades later, the region is yet to recover from a disaster that killed more than 25,000 people and destroyed tens of thousands of homes.

Was there an earthquake in May 1988?

There were no major earthquakes during the months of May and June. In the United States, three moderate earthquakes were expereinced in California but none crashed deaths or injuries.

How many people died in the Spitak earthquake?

Between 25,000 and 50,000 were killed and up to 130,000 were injured. Seismologists thoroughly studied the effects of the Spitak event, including the mainshock and aftershock fault rupture mechanisms, and were on site setting up temporary seismometers before the end of 1988.

Why did the 1988 Armenian earthquake result in an estimated 25000 deaths?

Why did the 1988 Armenian earthquake (in the Armenian Republic, then part of the former Soviet Union) result in an estimated 25,000 deaths? Numerous, poorly constructed, top-heavy concrete slab buildings collapsed. The epicenter is at the surface directly above the focus, which is where the earthquake occurs.

What year was the big earthquake in Armenia?

1988
On December 7, 1988, at 11:41 A.M. local time, a powerful earthquake of body-wave surface magnitude 6.83 struck northwest Armenia, a Soviet republic with 3.5 million people.

What earthquake happened in 1988?

The 1988 Armenian earthquake, also known as the Spitak earthquake (Armenian: Սպիտակի երկրաշարժ, Spitaki yerkrasharj), occurred on December 7 at 11:41 local time with a surface wave magnitude of 6.8 and a maximum MSK intensity of X (Devastating).

What earthquake happened in 1987?

An earthquake in Whittier, California, kills 6 people and injures 100 more on October 1, 1987. The quake was the largest to hit Southern California since 1971, but not nearly as damaging as the Northridge quake that would devastate parts of Los Angeles seven years later.

How many people died in the 1987 earthquake?

How big was the Whittier earthquake in the 1980s?

5.9 M
2 strike-slip event occurred three days later and several kilometers to the northwest that also caused damage and one additional death….1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake.

How big was the earthquake in Armenia in 1988?

On 7 December 1988 a devastating earthquake in northern Armenia killed 25,000 and left hundreds of thousands homeless in the Soviet republic. The 6.8 magnitude quake affected an area 80km (50 miles) in diameter.

All the hospitals around Spitak were destroyed, and 80 percent of medical personnel were killed.

When was the strongest earthquake in the Soviet Union?

On Dec. 7, 1988, Armenia, which was then part of the Soviet Union, was struck by the strongest recorded earthquake in the Caucasus region in 1,000 years, and one of the most lethal of the 20th century. Credit: NGDC/NOAA.

Who was the Soviet leader during the Armenian earthquake?

Mikhail Gorbachev cancelled an official visit to the United States and toured the cities devastated by the earthquake. In a move unprecedented in the Soviet Union, the leader called for the international community to help Armenia.