Skip to main content

Historical Tsunamis in Mainland Portugal and Azores — Case Histories

  • Chapter
Tsunamis in the World

Part of the book series: Advances in Natural and Technological Hazards Research ((NTHR,volume 1))

Abstract

The Portuguese, Spanish, and Moroccan coasts are subjected to large tsunamis generated by earthquakes with epicenters located in the Azores-Gibraltar fault. The 382 and 1755 tsunamis were generated in this area. The 1755 tsunami originated large waves causing considerable damage elsewhere along the southern coast of Portugal and Spain and northern coast of Morocco. The data already available, together with data on modern offshore seismicity, are very important to assess tsunami risk and for the establishment of environmental protection policies.

The research carried out till now shows that the A.D. 382 tsunami was generated in the same area as that of 1755. The 1761 tsunami was probably generated in a different area. The generation area of the 60 B.C. tsunami is still doubtful, and the so-called 1731 tsunami, believed to have been originated on the coast of Morocco, appears not to have occurred. The research shows also that tsunamis generated in the Azores region are rare, weak and local.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Amezua, Fernando Lopez de, 1755 - Carta philosophica, Madrid.

    Google Scholar 

  • Galbis Rodrigues, J. 1932 - Catalogo Sísmico de la zona compreendida entre los meridianos 50 E y 200 W de Greenwich y los paralelos 450 y 28° N, Vol. 1. Inst. Geog. Cat., Madrid.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kant, I.M., 1910a - Von den Ursachen der Erderschütterungen bei Gelegenheit des Unglückes, welches die westlichen Länder von Europa gegen das Ende des voriges Jahres betroffen hat. In “Kants Werke”, Vorkritische Schriften, vol. 1. Königlich Preussiche Akademie der Wissenschaften, Berlin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kant, I.M., 1910b - Geschichte und Naturbeschreibung der merkwürdigsten Vorfälle des Erdbebens, welches am Ende des 1755sten Jahres einen grossen Teil der Erde erschüttert hat. In “Kants Werke”, Vorkritische Schriften, vol. 1. Königlich Preussiche Akademie der Wissenschaften, Berlin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Montandon, F., 1953 - Les tremblements de terre destructeurs in Europe, Geneva.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moreira, Victor Sousa, 1985 - Seismotectonics of Portugal and its adjacent area in the Atlantic. Tectonophisics 117, pp. 85–96.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moreira, Victor Sousa, 1988–Historical and recent tsunamis in the european area. Tsunami Hazards, vol. 6, N° 1, pp. 37–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moreira, Victor Sousa, 1989a - Seismicity of the Portuguese continental margin, in Earthquakes at North-Atlantic passive margins: neotectonics and postglacial rebound. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, pp. 345–359.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moreira, Victor Sousa, 1989b - Review of the historical seismicity in the Gulf of Cadiz area before the 1 Nov. 1755 earthquake - a CEC project. First report ( 1989 ). Typed report presented to the EEC, Lisboa.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moreira, Victor Sousa; Marques, J. Sousa; Cruz, Jorge F.; Costa Nunes, J., 1992 - Review of the historical seismicity in the Gulf of Cadiz area before the 1 Nov. 1755 earthquake - an intermediated report. Typed report presented to the EEC, Lisboa.

    Google Scholar 

  • -32 - O terremoto do 1° de Novembro de 1755 em Portugal e um estudo demografico, Vol. I - N, Lisboa.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tributsch, H., 1984 - When the snakes awake. The MIT Press. Cambridge, Massachusetts; London, England.

    Google Scholar 

  • Udias, A.; López Arroyo, A.; Mezcua, J., 1976–Seismotectonic of the Azores-Alboran region. Tectonophysics 31, pp. 259–289.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1993 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Moreira, V. (1993). Historical Tsunamis in Mainland Portugal and Azores — Case Histories. In: Tinti, S. (eds) Tsunamis in the World. Advances in Natural and Technological Hazards Research, vol 1. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-3620-6_6

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-3620-6_6

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-481-4283-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-017-3620-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics