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The 21 and 22 August 1856 earthquake (I0 IX-X EMS, Ms 6.6): damage and repair from an unpublished historical source and impact on Jijel city nowadays

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Abstract

The recent seismic activity (2018–2021) in the Jijel region provides us with an opportunity to return to the most destructive and tsunamigenic earthquakes that hit Jijel town (formerly Djidjelli) on 21 and 22 August 1856. The purpose of this study is to deliver to scientists and different users detailed information on the damage caused by the seismic events to the buildings of Jijel city. This information is contained in an unpublished report that we found in the historical archives of the French colonial Army. The first exploitation of these data, supported by different illustrations, allows us to get indices for evaluating a priori possible damage that could be caused by a forthcoming earthquake of the same size (I0 IX, Ms ≥ 6.6) to Jijel city and its close surroundings.

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Acknowledgements

This work was prepared by the late Prof Assia Harbi before she left us. We (S. Maouche, M. Meghraoui as editors, and M. Hamidatou) include this article in this special issue dedicated to her memory. We are grateful to the Editor Prof. Dr. Attila Çiner and anonymous reviewers for their comments, remarks, and suggestions. The used data are available and accessible from S. Maouche.

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  1. CRAAG, Bp 63 Bouzareah, Algiers, Algeria

    Assia Harbi

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  1. Assia Harbi
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Correspondence to Assia Harbi.

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There is no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

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Harbi, A. The 21 and 22 August 1856 earthquake (I0 IX-X EMS, Ms 6.6): damage and repair from an unpublished historical source and impact on Jijel city nowadays. Med. Geosc. Rev. 4, 353–360 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42990-022-00091-y

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