Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The great historical 1755 earthquake. Effects and damage in Spain

  • Published:
Journal of Seismology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The access to the complete reports sent in answer of a Royal enquire relative to the 1755 earthquake (Archivo Historico Nacional, 1756) provided us with information more comprehensive than that included in the analysis of such documents prepared by the Spanish Royal Academy of History in 1756 (Real Academia de la Historia, 1756). With such data, we have made a new study of the shock centred mainly in the following points: number of victims, source parameters (including moment magnitude and epicentral location),intensity map and seismogeological effects compared with those expected from the EMS-98. Relevant results from this analysis are: a new intensity attenuation law for earthquakes from the region of the 1755 shocks and first approximation damage probability matrices for buildings of the types common in the XVII to XIX centuries affected by large, distant earthquakes.

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

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aki, K. and Richards, P.G., 1980, Quantitative Seismology. Theory and Methods. W.H. Freeman and Company.

  • Archivo Histórico Nacional, 1756, Documentos originales manuscritos sobre los efectos del terremoto de 1755 en España. Madrid, Sección Estado, legajos 2909, 3173, 3183, 4821.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bakun, W.H. and Wentworth, C.M., 1997, Estimating earthquake location and magnitude from seismic intensity data, Bull. Soc. Seism. Am. 87, 1502–1521.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baptista, M.A., 1998, Genese, propagaçao e impacte de tsunamis na costa portuguesa, PhD-Thesis Univ. Lisbon, 202 pp.

  • Baptista, M.A., Heitor, S., Miranda, J.M., Miranda, P. and Mendes-Victor, L., 1998a, The 1755 Lisbon Tsunami; Evaluation of the tsunami parameters, J. Geodynamics 25, 143–157.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baptista, M.A., Miranda, P.M.A., Miranda, J.M. and Mendes-Victor, L., 1998b, Constrains on the source of the 1755 Lisbon Tsunami inferred from numerical modelling on historical data on the source of the 1755 Lisbon Tsunami, J. Geodynamics 25, 159–174.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bolt, B.A., 1993, Earthquakes, W.H. Freeman and Company, New York, 331 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Braga, F., Dolce, M. and Liberatore, D., 1986, Assessment of the Relationships between Macroseismic Intensity, Type of Building and Damage, based on the recent Italy Earthquake Data. Proc. 8th European Conference on Earthquake Engineering, Lisboa 1986: pp. 39–46.

  • Buforn, E., Udias, A. and Colombas, M.A., 1988, Seismicity, source mechanism and tectonics of the Azores-Gibraltar plate boundary, Tectonophysics 152, 98–118.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buforn, E., Sanz de Galdeano, C. and Udias, A., 1995, Seismotectonics of the Ibero-Maghrebian region, Tectonophysics 248, 247–261.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buforn, E., Coca, P., Udias, A. and Lasa, C., 1997, Source mechanism of intermediate and deep earthquakes in southern Spain, J. Seismol. 1, 113–130.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Campos Romero, M.L., 1992, El riesgo de Tsunamis en España. Análisis y valoración geográfica, Instituto Geográfico Nacional, Madrid, 204 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • European Macroseismic Scale 1998, 1998, Cahiers du Centre Europeen de Geodynamique et de Seismologie, Vol. 15, 99 pp.

  • Frankel, A., 1994, Implications of felt area-magnitude relations for earthquake scaling and the average frequency of perceptible ground motion, Bull. Soc. Seism. Am. 84, 462–465.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fukao, Y., 1973, Thrust faulting at a lithospheric plate boundary: The Portugal earthquake of 1969, Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 18, 205–216.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gjevik, B., Pedersen, G., Dybesland, E., Harbitz, C.B., Miranda, P.M.A., Baptista, M.A., Mendes-Vitor, L., Heinrich, P., Roche, R. and Guesmia, M., 1997. Modeling tsunamis from earthquake sources near Gorringe Bank southwest of Portugal, J. Geophys. Res. 102, 27931–27949.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hayward, N., Watts, A.B., Westbrook, G.K. and Collier, J.S., 1999, A seismic reflection and GLORIA study of compressional deformation in the Gorringe Bank region, eastern North Atlantic, Geophys. J. Int. 138, 831–850.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hill, D.P., Fischer, F.G., Lahr, K.M. and Coakley, J.M., 1976, Earthquake sounds generated by body-wave ground motion, Bull. Soc. Seism. Am. 66, 1159–1172.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnston, A.C., 1996a, Seismic moment assessment of earthquakes in stable continental regions — I. Instrumental seismicity, Geophys. J. Int. 124, 381–414.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnston, A.C., 1996b, Seismic moment assessment of earthquakes in stable continental regions — II. Historical seismicity, Geophys. J. Int. 125, 639–678.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnston, A.C., 1996c, Seismic moment assessment of earthquakes in stable continental regions — III. New Madrid 1811–1812, Charleston 1886 and Lisbon 1755, Geophys. J. Int. 126, 314–344.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kanamori, H., 1977, The energy release in great earthquakes, J. Geophys. Res. 82, 2981–2987.

    Google Scholar 

  • Levret, A., 1991, The effects of the November 1, 1755 ‘Lisbon’ earthquake in Morocco, Tectonophysics 193, 83–94.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • López Arroyo, A. and Udias, A., 1972, Aftershock sequence and focal parameters of the February 28, 1969 earthquake of the Azores-Gibraltar fracture zone, Bull. Soc. Seism. Am. 62, 699–720.

    Google Scholar 

  • Machado, F., 1966, Contribuiçao para o estudo do terramoto de 1 de Novembro de 1755, Rev. Fac. Ciencias de Lisboa. 2a Serie-C, vol.XIV, fasc.1, pp. 19–31.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martínez Solares, J.M., 2001, Los efectos en España del terremoto de Lisboa (1 de Noviembre de 1755), Instituto Geográfico Nacional, Madrid, 756 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martinez Solares, J.M. and Lopez Arroyo, A., 1999, Nuevas aportaciones para el cálculo de la atenuación sísmica en la zona de Azores-Gibraltar. Implicaciones en la actual norma sismorresistente, Proc. 1 Congreso Nacional de Ingeniería Sísmica, Murcia (Spain), pp. 383–391.

  • Martinez Solares, J.M. and Mezcua, J., 2002, Catalogo Sismico de la Peninsula Iberica (880 a.C. — 1900), Instituto Geográfico Nacional, Madrid, pp. 253.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martinez Solares, J.M., Lopez Arroyo, A. and Mezcua, J., 1979, Isoseismal map of the 1755 Lisbon earthquake obtained from spanish data, Tectonophysics 53, 301–313.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mezcua, J. and Martinez Solares, J.M., 1983, Sismicidad del área Iberomogrebi, Instituto Geográfico Nacional, Madrid, 299 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mezcua, J. and Rueda, J., 1997, Seismological evidence for a delamination process in the lithosphere under the Alboran Sea, Geophys. J. Int. 129, F1–F8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mezcua, J., Rueda, J. and Martinez Solares, J.M., 1991, Seismicity of the Ibero-Maghrebian Region, In: Mezcua, J. and Udias, A. (eds.), Seismicity, Seismotectonics and Seismic Risk of the Ibero-Maghrebian Region, Instituto Geográfico Nacional, Madrid, pp. 17–28.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moreira de Mendonça, J.J., 1758, Historia universal dos terremotos que tem havido no mundo, de que ha noticia, desde a sua creaçao ate o seculo presente, Offic. Antonio V. De Silva, Lisboa, 272 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mukherjee, S.M., 1954, Lisbon earthquake of 1 November 1755, Earth Sc. Lib., 149–158.

  • Paula, A. and Sousa Oliveira, C., 1995, Avaliaçao de informaçao macrossismica de Portugal continental. Estudos de atenuaçao, Instituto Superior Tecnico. Lisboa.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pereira de Sousa, F.L., 1915, O megasismo do 1° de Novembro de 1755 em Portugal. Distrito de Faro. Acompanhado de um estudo demografico e sobre rochas de construçao, Rev. Ob. Pub. e Minas, Lisboa, Vol. I, 165 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pereira de Sousa, F.L., 1916, O megasismo do 1° de Novembro de 1755 em Portugal. Acompanhado dum estudo demografico e sobre rochas de construçao. Distritos de Beja e Evora, Rev. Ob. Pub. e Minas, Lisboa, Vol. II, 216 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pereira de Sousa, F.L., 1928, O terremoto do 1° de Novembro de 1755 em Portugal e um estudo demografico. Distrito de Lisboa, Servicios Geológicos, Lisboa, Vol. III, pp. 479–949.

    Google Scholar 

  • Real Academia de la Historia, 1756, Noticia individual que da la Academia de la Historia del terremoto del 1° de Noviembre de 1755 por orden del Rey Nuestro Señor a quien la dedica, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, 392 pp. Ref. 25-5a. C. n. 91.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reid, H.F., 1914, The Lisbon earthquake of November 1, 1755, Bull. Soc. Seism. Am. 4, 53–80.

    Google Scholar 

  • Richter, C.F., 1958, Elementary Seismology, W.H. Freeman and Company, San Francisco, 768 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sánchez-Blanco, F., 1999, La mentalidad ilustrada, Taurus (ed.), Madrid, 386 pp.

  • Spanish Earthquake-Resistant Regulations NCSE-02, 2002, Boletin Oficial del Estado de 11 de Octubre, pp. 35898–35967.

  • Udias, A., Lopez Arroyo, A. and Mezcua, J., 1976, Seismotectonic of the Azores-Alboran Region, Tectonophysics 31, 259–289.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zitellini, N., Chierici, F., Sartori, R. and Torelli, L., 1999, The tectonic source of the 1755 Lisbon eartquake and tsunami, Annali di Geofisica 42, 49–55.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto Geográfico Nacional, General Ibáñez Ibero, 3, 28003, Madrid, Spain

    J.M. Martínez Solares

  2. Ofiteco S. A. Guzmán el Bueno, 133, 28003, Madrid, Spain

    A. López Arroyo

Authors
  1. J.M. Martínez Solares
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. A. López Arroyo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Martínez Solares, J., López Arroyo, A. The great historical 1755 earthquake. Effects and damage in Spain. Journal of Seismology 8, 275–294 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JOSE.0000021365.94606.03

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JOSE.0000021365.94606.03

Search

Navigation