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{{Short description|6.0 Mw earthquake}}
{{Infobox earthquake
{{Infobox earthquake
| name = 1999 Athens earthquake
| name = 1999 Athens earthquake
| image =
| image =
| alt =
| alt =
| caption =
| caption =
| map =
| map =
| map_alt =
| map_alt =
| map_caption =
⚫
| map2 = {{Location map|Greece
| map_caption =
|relief=1
⚫
| map2 = {{Location map+|Greece|relief=1|float=center
|float=center
| caption =
| caption =
| width = 250
| width = 260
|lat=38.119
| places=
|long=23.605
{{Location map~|Greece|lat=38.06|long=23.51|mark=Bullseye1.png|marksize=40}}
|mark=Bullseye1.png
{{Location map~|Greece|lat=37.98|long=23.73|label=Athens||label_size=120|mark=Green pog.svg}}
|marksize=50}}
}}
| timestamp = 1999-09-07 11:56:51
| timestamp = 1999-09-07 11:56:51
| isc-event = 1655758
| isc-event = 1655758
| anss-url = iscgem1655758
| anss-url = iscgem1655758
| local-date = {{Start date|1999|09|07}}
| local-date = {{Start date|1999|09|07}}
| local-time = 14:56:51 EEST
| local-time = 14:56:51 EEST
| duration =
| duration =
| magnitude = 6.0 {{M|w|link=y}}<ref name=ISC-GEM/>
| magnitude = 6.0 {{M|w|link=y}}<ref name=ISC-GEM/>
| depth = {{convert|10|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}<ref name=ISC-GEM/>
| depth = {{convert|10.0|km|abbr=on}}<ref name=ISC-GEM/>
| location = {{coord|38.06|23.51|region:GR_type:event|display=inline,title}}<ref name=ISC-GEM/>
| location = {{coord|38.06|23.51|region:GR_type:event|display=inline,title}}<ref name=ISC-GEM/>
| fault =
| fault =
| type = [[Fault (geology)#Dip-slip faults|Normal-slip]]<ref name=PAGER-CAT/>
| type = [[Fault (geology)#Dip-slip faults|Normal-slip]]<ref name=PAGER-CAT/>
| affected = [[Greece]]
| affected = [[Greece]]
| damages = $3–4.2 billion<ref name=NGDC/><ref name=Elenas/>
| damages = $3–4.2 billion<ref name=NGDC/><ref name=Elenas/>
| intensity = [[Mercalli intensity scale|IX (''Violent'')]]<ref name=NGDC/>
| intensity = {{MMI|IX}}<ref name=NGDC/>
| pga = 0.6 ''[[peak ground acceleration|g]]''<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Anastasiadis |first1=A.N. |last2=Demosthenous |first2=M. |last3=Karakostas |first3=C.H. |last4=Klimis |first4=N. |last5=Lekidis |first5=B. |last6=Margaris |first6=B. |last7=Papaioannou |first7=C.H. |last8=Papazachos |first8=C. |last9=Theodulidis |first9=N. |title=The Athens (Greece) Earthquake of September 7, 1999: Preliminary Report on Strong Motion Data and Structural Response. |url=http://mceer.buffalo.edu/research/Reconnaissance/greece9-7-99/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180826150216/http://mceer.buffalo.edu/research/Reconnaissance/greece9-7-99/ |archive-date=August 26, 2018 |website=MCEER: Earthquake Engineering to Extreme Events}}</ref>
| pga = 0.6 ''[[peak ground acceleration|g]]''
| tsunami =
| tsunami =
| landslide =
| landslide =
| foreshocks =
| foreshocks =
| aftershocks =
| aftershocks =
| casualties = {{nowrap|143 dead, 800–1,600 injured<ref name=NGDC/><ref name=Elenas/>}} <br> 50,000 homeless<ref name=PAGER-CAT/>
| casualties = {{nowrap|143 dead, 800–1,600 injured<ref name=NGDC/><ref name=Elenas/>}} <br /> 50,000 homeless<ref name=PAGER-CAT/>
| engvar = <!-- follow article: =en-UK will show 'Epicentre' -->
| engvar = <!-- follow article: =en-UK will show 'Epicentre' -->
}}
}}


[[File:Ricomex 1.jpg|thumb|Ricomex industry (Vileda)]]
[[File:Ricomex 1.jpg|thumb|Ricomex industry (Vileda)]]
[[File:Ricomex 3.jpg|thumb|Ricomex industry (Vileda) monument]]
[[File:Ricomex 3.jpg|thumb|Ricomex industry (Vileda) monument]]
[[File:1999 Athens earthquake relief by IDF (FB808729829170744).jpg|thumb|IDF relief mission, September 1999]]
⚫
The '''1999 Athens earthquake''' occurred on September 7 at {{tooltip|14:56:51 local time|11:56:51 UTC}} near [[Mount Parnitha]] in Greece with a moment magnitude of 6.0 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (''Violent''). The proximity to the Athens metropolitan area resulted in widespread structural damage, mainly to the nearby suburban towns of [[Ano Liosia]], [[Acharnes]], [[Fyli]], [[Thrakomakedones]], [[Kifissia]], [[Metamorfosi]], [[Kamatero]] and [[Nea Filadelfeia]]. More than 100 buildings (including three major factories) across those areas collapsed trapping scores of victims under their rubble while dozens more were severely damaged. With damage estimated at $3–4.2 billion, 143 people were killed, and up to 1,600 were treated for injuries in Greece's deadliest natural disaster in almost half a century.


==Tectonic setting==
⚫
The '''1999 Athens earthquake''' occurred on September 7 at {{tooltip|14:56:51 local time|11:56:51 UTC}} near [[Mount Parnitha]] in Greece with a moment magnitude of 6.0 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (''Violent''). The proximity to the Athens metropolitan area resulted in widespread structural damage, mainly to the nearby towns of [[Ano Liossia]], [[Acharnes]], [[Fyli]] and [[Thrakomakedones]] as well as to the northern Athenian suburbs of [[Kifissia]], [[Metamorfosi]], [[Kamatero]] and [[Nea Philadelphia]]. More than 100 buildings (including three major factories) across those areas collapsed trapping scores of victims under their rubble while dozens more were severely damaged. With damage estimated at $3–4.2 billion, 143 people were killed, and up to 1,600 were treated for injuries in Greece's deadliest natural disaster in almost half a century.
Greece is a seismically active country, located in a complex zone of interaction of the [[African plate|African]], [[Eurasian plate|Eurasian]], [[Aegean Sea plate|Aegean Sea]], and Anatolian plates. [[Southern Greece]] itself is located on the Aegean Sea plate. The Anatolian Plate is moving southwest into the Aegean Sea plate at a rate of 3&nbsp;cm per year relative to the Eurasian plate. Meanwhile, the African plate subduction beneath the Aegean Sea plate at a rate of 4&nbsp;cm per year along the [[Hellenic subduction zone|Hellenic Subduction Zone]].<ref name="Herman">{{cite journal |author1=Matthew W. Herman |author2=Gavin P. Hayes |author3=Gregory M. Smoczyk |author4=Rebecca Turner |author5=Bethan Turner |author6=Jennifer Jenkins |author7=Sian Davies |author8=Amy Parker |author9=Allison Sinclair |author10=Harley M. Benz |author11=Kevin P. Furlong |author12=Antonio Villaseñor |title=Seismicity of the Earth 1900‒2013 Mediterranean Sea and vicinity |url=https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20101083Q |publisher=United States Geological Survey |series=Open-File Report |year=2015 |access-date=11 August 2021 |format=Open-File Report 2010-1083-Q |doi=10.3133/ofr20101083Q|doi-access=free }}</ref>


==Damage==
==Damage==
The 1999 quake was the most devastating and costly [[natural disaster]] to hit the country in nearly 20 years. The last major earthquake to hit Athens took place on February 24, 1981, near the Alkyonides Islands of the [[Corinthian Gulf]], some 87&nbsp;km to the west of the Greek capital. Registering a moment magnitude of 6.7, the 1981 earthquake had resulted in the deaths of 20 people and considerable and widespread [[Earthquake engineering|structural damage]] in the city of [[Corinth]], nearby towns and sections of Athens' western suburbs.
The 1999 quake was the most devastating and costly [[natural disaster]] to hit the country in nearly 20 years. The [[1981 Gulf of Corinth earthquakes|last major earthquake]] to hit Athens took place on February 24, 1981, near the Alkyonides Islands of the [[Corinthian Gulf]], some 87&nbsp;km to the west of the Greek capital. Registering a moment magnitude of 6.7, the 1981 earthquake had resulted in the deaths of 20 people and considerable and widespread [[Earthquake engineering|structural damage]] in the city of [[Corinth]], nearby towns and sections of Athens' western suburbs.<ref name="Papnikolaou_etal_2009">{{Cite book |last1=Papanikolaou |first1=I.D. |title=Palaeoseismology: Historical and Prehistorical Records of Earthquake Ground Effects for Seismic Hazard Assessment |last2=Papanikolaou |first2=D.I. |last3=Lekkas |first3=E.L. |year=2009 |isbn=9781862392762 |editor-last=Reicherter |editor-first=K. |series=Geological Society, Special Publications |volume=316 |pages=11–30 |chapter=Advances and limitations of the Environmental Seismic Intensity scale (ESI 2007) regarding near-field and far-field effects from recent earthquakes in Greece: implications for the seismic hazard assessment |doi=10.1144/SP316.2 |s2cid=130603646 |editor-last2=Michetti |editor-first2=A.M. |editor-last3=Silva |editor-first3=P.G. |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9Kwd1tbI64oC&q=Advances+and+limitations+of+the+Environmental+Seismic+Intensity+scale+%28ESI+2007%29+regarding+near-field+and+far-field+effects+from+recent+earthquakes+in+Greece%3A+implications+for+the+seismic+hazard+assessment&pg=PA11}}</ref>


Apart from the proximity of the epicenter to the Athens Metropolitan Area, this quake also featured a very shallow [[hypocenter]] combined with unusually high [[peak ground acceleration|ground accelerations]]. Unexpectedly heavy damage also affected the town of Adames. The [[Acropolis of Athens]] and the rest of the city's famous ancient monuments escaped the disaster either totally unharmed or suffering only minor damage. A landslide as well as several fissures were reported along the road leading to the peak of [[Mount Parnitha]]. Minor damage was also reported to water and waste networks close to the epicenter.<ref name=Elenas>{{citation|first=A.|last=Elenas|date=2003|title=Athens earthquake of 7 September 1999: Intensity measures and observed damages|url=http://home.iitk.ac.in/~vinaykg/Iset_40_tn.pdf|journal=ISET Journal of Earthquake Technology|publisher=Indian Society of Earthquake Technology|series=Technical Note|volume=49|number=1|pages=77–97}}</ref>
Apart from the proximity of the epicenter to the Athens Metropolitan Area, this quake also featured a very shallow [[hypocenter]] combined with unusually high [[peak ground acceleration|ground accelerations]]. Unexpectedly heavy damage also affected the town of Adames. The [[Acropolis of Athens]] and the rest of the city's famous ancient monuments escaped the disaster either totally unharmed or suffering only minor damage. A landslide as well as several fissures were reported along the road leading to the peak of [[Mount Parnitha]]. [[Regency Casino Mont Parnes]] was damaged by the earthquake, causing numerous rooms to collapse and the building's northeastern wing to detach from rest of the building.<ref>{{cite book |editor-last= Jarvis|editor-first= Ruth|author-link= |date= 2004|title=Time Out Athens |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Time_Out_Athens/thWRaIxhEdUC|publisher=[[Penguin Books]] |page=236 |isbn=9780141010557}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url= https://www.tovima.gr/2008/11/25/archive/i-anastasi-toy-mon-parnes/|language= Greek |title= Η ανάσταση του Μον Παρνές|trans-title=The Resurrection of Mont Parnes |author=Maria Thermou|date=November 25, 2008 |website= [[To Vima]]|access-date= December 22, 2024}}</ref> Minor damage was also reported to water and waste networks close to the epicenter.<ref name=Elenas>{{citation|first=A.|last=Elenas|date=2003|title=Athens earthquake of 7 September 1999: Intensity measures and observed damages|url=http://home.iitk.ac.in/~vinaykg/Iset_40_tn.pdf|journal=ISET Journal of Earthquake Technology|publisher=Indian Society of Earthquake Technology|series=Technical Note|volume=49|number=1|pages=77–97}}</ref>


==Strong motion==
==Strong motion==
{{see also|Seismic gap}}
⚫
This event took Greek seismologists by surprise as it came from a previously unknown fault, originating in an area that was for a long time considered of a particularly low seismicity. The highest recorded [[peak ground acceleration]] was 0.3g, at 15&nbsp;km from the epicentre, with attenuation predicting 0.6g acceleration at the centre.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mceer.buffalo.edu/research/Reconnaissance/greece9-7-99/|title=The Athens (Greece) Earthquake of September 7, 1999: Preliminary Report on Strong Motion Data and Structural Response|author=Anastasiadis A. N.|work=Institute of Engineering Seismology and Earthquake Engineering|publisher=MCEER|date=|accessdate=22 March 2011|display-authors=etal}}</ref>
[[File:1999 Σεισμός Πάρνηθας στα Άνω Λιόσια.png|thumb|222x222px|Rescue in Ano Liosia 7 September 1999.]]
⚫
This event took Greek seismologists by surprise as it came from a previously unknown fault, originating in an area that was for a long time considered of a particularly low seismicity. The highest recorded [[peak ground acceleration]] was 0.3g, at 15&nbsp;km from the epicentre, with attenuation predicting 0.6g acceleration at the centre.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mceer.buffalo.edu/research/Reconnaissance/greece9-7-99/|title=The Athens (Greece) Earthquake of September 7, 1999: Preliminary Report on Strong Motion Data and Structural Response|author=Anastasiadis A. N.|work=Institute of Engineering Seismology and Earthquake Engineering|publisher=MCEER|accessdate=22 March 2011|display-authors=etal|archive-date=3 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303203639/http://mceer.buffalo.edu/research/Reconnaissance/greece9-7-99/|url-status=dead}}</ref>


==Response==
==Response==
The tremor took place less than a month after a [[1999 İzmit earthquake| Turkish disaster which was much larger in scale]]. This succession of earthquakes and mutual help of both countries gave rise to talks about what became known as the "[[Greek-Turkish earthquake diplomacy]]", in hopes for a breakthrough in bilateral relations, which had been marred by decades of hostility. Turkey reciprocated the aid rendered by Greece immediately following the August 17, 1999 Turkish earthquake. A special taskforce was formed, consisting of the Undersecretariat of the Prime Ministry, the Turkish Armed Forces, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and of Internal Affairs and the Greek Embassy in [[Ankara]] was contacted. The Turkish aid was the first to arrive in the affected areas, with the first 20-person rescue team arriving in Athens within 13 hours after the earthquake struck. The Greek consulates and the embassy in Turkey had their phone lines jammed with Turkish citizens offering [[blood donation]]s.<ref>[http://www.milliyet.com.tr/1999/09/10/haber/hab00.html "Bu dostluk bitmez"] {{tr icon}}</ref>
The tremor took place less than a month after a [[1999 İzmit earthquake|Turkish disaster which was much larger in scale]]. This succession of earthquakes and mutual help of both countries gave rise to talks about what became known as the "[[Greek-Turkish earthquake diplomacy]]", in hopes for a breakthrough in bilateral relations, which had been marred by decades of hostility. Turkey reciprocated the aid rendered by Greece immediately following the August 17, 1999 Turkish earthquake. A special taskforce was formed, consisting of the Undersecretariat of the Prime Ministry, the Turkish Armed Forces, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and of Internal Affairs and the Greek Embassy in [[Ankara]] was contacted. The Turkish aid was the first to arrive in the affected areas, with the first 20-person rescue team arriving in Athens within 13 hours after the earthquake struck. The Greek consulates and the embassy in Turkey had their phone lines jammed with Turkish citizens offering [[blood donation]]s.<ref>[http://www.milliyet.com.tr/1999/09/10/haber/hab00.html "Bu dostluk bitmez"] {{in lang|tr}}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
*[[List of earthquakes in 1999]]
*[[List of earthquakes in 1999]]
*[[List of earthquakes in Greece]]
*[[List of earthquakes in Greece]]
*[[2019 Athens earthquake]]


==References==
==References==
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<ref name=ISC-GEM>{{citation|title=ISC-GEM Global Instrumental Earthquake Catalogue (1900–2013)|url=http://www.isc.ac.uk/iscgem/index.php|author=ISC|year=2017|publisher=[[International Seismological Centre]]|series=Version 4.0}}</ref>
<ref name=ISC-GEM>{{citation|title=ISC-GEM Global Instrumental Earthquake Catalogue (1900–2013)|url=http://www.isc.ac.uk/iscgem/index.php|author=ISC|year=2017|publisher=[[International Seismological Centre]]|series=Version 4.0}}</ref>
<ref name=NGDC>{{citation|title=Significant Earthquake Database|url=https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/nndc/struts/form?t=101650&s=1&d=1|author=National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service (NGDC/WDS)|publisher=[[National Geophysical Data Center]], [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|NOAA]]|doi=10.7289/V5TD9V7K|year=1972|type=Data Set}}</ref>
<ref name=NGDC>{{citation|title=Significant Earthquake Database|url=https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/nndc/struts/form?t=101650&s=1&d=1|author=National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service (NGDC/WDS)|publisher=[[National Geophysical Data Center]], [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|NOAA]]|doi=10.7289/V5TD9V7K|year=1972|type=Data Set}}</ref>
<ref name=PAGER-CAT>{{citation|title=PAGER-CAT Earthquake Catalog|url=https://earthquake.usgs.gov/enwiki/static/lfs/data/pager/catalogs/|author=USGS|date=September 4, 2009|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|series=Version 2008_06.1 }}</ref>
<ref name=PAGER-CAT>{{citation|title=PAGER-CAT Earthquake Catalog|url=https://earthquake.usgs.gov/enwiki/static/lfs/data/pager/catalogs/|date=September 4, 2009|publisher=United States Geological Survey|series=Version 2008_06.1 }}</ref>
}}
}}


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==Further reading==
==Further reading==
*[http://mceer.buffalo.edu/research/Reconnaissance/greece9-7-99/ The Athens (Greece) Earthquake of September 7, 1999: Preliminary Report on Strong Motion Data and Structural Response.] – MCEER
*[http://mceer.buffalo.edu/research/Reconnaissance/greece9-7-99/ The Athens (Greece) Earthquake of September 7, 1999: Preliminary Report on Strong Motion Data and Structural Response.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303203639/http://mceer.buffalo.edu/research/Reconnaissance/greece9-7-99/ |date=March 3, 2016 }} – MCEER
*[http://www.eeri.org/lfe/pdf/greece_athens_eeri_preliminary_report.pdf The Athens, Greece Earthquake of September 7, 1999] – [[Earthquake Engineering Research Institute]]
*[http://www.eeri.org/lfe/pdf/greece_athens_eeri_preliminary_report.pdf The Athens, Greece Earthquake of September 7, 1999] – [[Earthquake Engineering Research Institute]]
*[http://www.springerlink.com/content/u22055w7726323m7/ The Source Mechanism of the Athens Earthquake, September 7, 1999, Estimated from P Seismograms Recorded at Long Range] – [[Springer Science+Business Media]]
*[https://doi.org/10.1023%2FA%3A1019924508035 The Source Mechanism of the Athens Earthquake, September 7, 1999, Estimated from P Seismograms Recorded at Long Range] – [[Springer Science+Business Media]]
*[[Spyros B. Pavlides|Pavlides, S.]], Papadopoulos, G. A., and Ganas, A., 1999. The 7th September 1999 unexpected earthquake of Athens: Preliminary results on the seismotectonic environment, 1st Conf. Advances in Natural Hazards Mitigation: Experiences from Europe and Japan, Programme-Abstracts-Reports, Athens, 3–4 November 1999, 80–85.
*[[Spyros B. Pavlides|Pavlides, S.]], Papadopoulos, G. A., and Ganas, A., 1999. The 7th September 1999 unexpected earthquake of Athens: Preliminary results on the seismotectonic environment, 1st Conf. Advances in Natural Hazards Mitigation: Experiences from Europe and Japan, Programme-Abstracts-Reports, Athens, 3–4 November 1999, 80–85.
*{{cite journal | last1 = Ganas | first1 = A. | last2 = Papadopoulos | first2 = G. | last3 = Pavlides | first3 = S. B. | year = 2001 | title = The 7th September 1999 Athens 5.9 Ms earthquake: remote sensing and digital elevation model inputs towards identifying the seismic fault | url = | journal = International Journal of Remote Sensing | volume = 22 | issue = 1| pages = 191–196 | doi=10.1080/014311601750038938| bibcode = 2001IJRS...22..191G }}
*{{cite journal | last1 = Ganas | first1 = A. | last2 = Papadopoulos | first2 = G. | last3 = Pavlides | first3 = S. B. | year = 2001 | title = The 7th September 1999 Athens 5.9 Ms earthquake: remote sensing and digital elevation model inputs towards identifying the seismic fault | journal = International Journal of Remote Sensing | volume = 22 | issue = 1| pages = 191–196 | doi=10.1080/014311601750038938| bibcode = 2001IJRS...22..191G | s2cid = 130681996 }}
*Ganas, A., Stavrakakis, G., Lagios, E., Papadopoulos, G., & Pavlides, S., [https://web.archive.org/web/20071128054507/http://www.pcigeomatics.com/services/support_center/tech_papers/aganas1.pdf Investigation of the seismic fault that ruptured during the 7/9/99 Athens earthquake using space techniques, RSPS 2001 Proceedings, Natural Hazards]
*Ganas, A., Stavrakakis, G., Lagios, E., Papadopoulos, G., & Pavlides, S., [https://web.archive.org/web/20071128054507/http://www.pcigeomatics.com/services/support_center/tech_papers/aganas1.pdf Investigation of the seismic fault that ruptured during the 7/9/99 Athens earthquake using space techniques, RSPS 2001 Proceedings, Natural Hazards]
* {{cite journal | last=Lekkas | first=E. | title=The Athens earthquake (7 September 1999): intensity distribution and controlling factors | journal=Engineering Geology | volume=59 | issue=3–4 | year=2001 | issn=0013-7952 | doi=10.1016/s0013-7952(00)00119-8 | pages=297–311| bibcode=2001EngGe..59..297L }}


==External links==
==External links==
⚫
{{Commons category}}
*{{EQ-isc-link|1655758}}
*{{EQ-isc-link|1655758}}


⚫
{{Commons category|Earthquakes of Athens 1999}}
{{Earthquakes in 1999}}
{{Earthquakes in 1999}}
{{Earthquakes in Greece}}
{{Earthquakes in Greece}}
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[[Category:Earthquakes in Greece]]
[[Category:Earthquakes in Greece]]
[[Category:1999 earthquakes|Athens]]
[[Category:1999 earthquakes|Athens]]
[[Category:1990s in Athens]]
[[Category:1999 in Greece|Athens earthquake]]
[[Category:1999 in Greece|Athens earthquake]]
[[Category:September 1999 events in Europe]]
[[Category:September 1999 events in Europe]]
[[Category:1999 disasters in Greece]]

Latest revision as of 13:43, 25 December 2024

1999 Athens earthquake
1999 Athens earthquake is located in Greece
1999 Athens earthquake
UTC time1999-09-07 11:56:51
ISC event1655758
USGS-ANSSComCat
Local dateSeptember 7, 1999 (1999-09-07)
Local time14:56:51 EEST
Magnitude6.0 Mw[1]
Depth10.0 km (6.2 mi)[1]
Epicenter38°04′N 23°31′E / 38.06°N 23.51°E / 38.06; 23.51[1]
TypeNormal-slip[2]
Areas affectedGreece
Total damage$3–4.2 billion[3][4]
Max. intensityMMI IX (Violent)[3]
Peak acceleration0.6 g[5]
Casualties143 dead, 800–1,600 injured[3][4]
50,000 homeless[2]
Ricomex industry (Vileda)
Ricomex industry (Vileda) monument
IDF relief mission, September 1999

The 1999 Athens earthquake occurred on September 7 at 14:56:51 local time near Mount Parnitha in Greece with a moment magnitude of 6.0 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). The proximity to the Athens metropolitan area resulted in widespread structural damage, mainly to the nearby suburban towns of Ano Liosia, Acharnes, Fyli, Thrakomakedones, Kifissia, Metamorfosi, Kamatero and Nea Filadelfeia. More than 100 buildings (including three major factories) across those areas collapsed trapping scores of victims under their rubble while dozens more were severely damaged. With damage estimated at $3–4.2 billion, 143 people were killed, and up to 1,600 were treated for injuries in Greece's deadliest natural disaster in almost half a century.

Tectonic setting

[edit]

Greece is a seismically active country, located in a complex zone of interaction of the African, Eurasian, Aegean Sea, and Anatolian plates. Southern Greece itself is located on the Aegean Sea plate. The Anatolian Plate is moving southwest into the Aegean Sea plate at a rate of 3 cm per year relative to the Eurasian plate. Meanwhile, the African plate subduction beneath the Aegean Sea plate at a rate of 4 cm per year along the Hellenic Subduction Zone.[6]

Damage

[edit]

The 1999 quake was the most devastating and costly natural disaster to hit the country in nearly 20 years. The last major earthquake to hit Athens took place on February 24, 1981, near the Alkyonides Islands of the Corinthian Gulf, some 87 km to the west of the Greek capital. Registering a moment magnitude of 6.7, the 1981 earthquake had resulted in the deaths of 20 people and considerable and widespread structural damage in the city of Corinth, nearby towns and sections of Athens' western suburbs.[7]

Apart from the proximity of the epicenter to the Athens Metropolitan Area, this quake also featured a very shallow hypocenter combined with unusually high ground accelerations. Unexpectedly heavy damage also affected the town of Adames. The Acropolis of Athens and the rest of the city's famous ancient monuments escaped the disaster either totally unharmed or suffering only minor damage. A landslide as well as several fissures were reported along the road leading to the peak of Mount Parnitha. Regency Casino Mont Parnes was damaged by the earthquake, causing numerous rooms to collapse and the building's northeastern wing to detach from rest of the building.[8][9] Minor damage was also reported to water and waste networks close to the epicenter.[4]

Strong motion

[edit]
See also: Seismic gap
Rescue in Ano Liosia 7 September 1999.

This event took Greek seismologists by surprise as it came from a previously unknown fault, originating in an area that was for a long time considered of a particularly low seismicity. The highest recorded peak ground acceleration was 0.3g, at 15 km from the epicentre, with attenuation predicting 0.6g acceleration at the centre.[10]

Response

[edit]

The tremor took place less than a month after a Turkish disaster which was much larger in scale. This succession of earthquakes and mutual help of both countries gave rise to talks about what became known as the "Greek-Turkish earthquake diplomacy", in hopes for a breakthrough in bilateral relations, which had been marred by decades of hostility. Turkey reciprocated the aid rendered by Greece immediately following the August 17, 1999 Turkish earthquake. A special taskforce was formed, consisting of the Undersecretariat of the Prime Ministry, the Turkish Armed Forces, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and of Internal Affairs and the Greek Embassy in Ankara was contacted. The Turkish aid was the first to arrive in the affected areas, with the first 20-person rescue team arriving in Athens within 13 hours after the earthquake struck. The Greek consulates and the embassy in Turkey had their phone lines jammed with Turkish citizens offering blood donations.[11]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c ISC (2017), ISC-GEM Global Instrumental Earthquake Catalogue (1900–2013), Version 4.0, International Seismological Centre
  2. ^ a b PAGER-CAT Earthquake Catalog, Version 2008_06.1, United States Geological Survey, September 4, 2009
  3. ^ a b c National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service (NGDC/WDS) (1972), Significant Earthquake Database (Data Set), National Geophysical Data Center, NOAA, doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K
  4. ^ a b c Elenas, A. (2003), "Athens earthquake of 7 September 1999: Intensity measures and observed damages" (PDF), ISET Journal of Earthquake Technology, Technical Note, 49 (1), Indian Society of Earthquake Technology: 77–97
  5. ^ Anastasiadis, A.N.; Demosthenous, M.; Karakostas, C.H.; Klimis, N.; Lekidis, B.; Margaris, B.; Papaioannou, C.H.; Papazachos, C.; Theodulidis, N. "The Athens (Greece) Earthquake of September 7, 1999: Preliminary Report on Strong Motion Data and Structural Response". MCEER: Earthquake Engineering to Extreme Events. Archived from the original on August 26, 2018.
  6. ^ Matthew W. Herman; Gavin P. Hayes; Gregory M. Smoczyk; Rebecca Turner; Bethan Turner; Jennifer Jenkins; Sian Davies; Amy Parker; Allison Sinclair; Harley M. Benz; Kevin P. Furlong; Antonio Villaseñor (2015). "Seismicity of the Earth 1900‒2013 Mediterranean Sea and vicinity" (Open-File Report 2010-1083-Q). Open-File Report. United States Geological Survey. doi:10.3133/ofr20101083Q. Retrieved 11 August 2021. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  7. ^ Papanikolaou, I.D.; Papanikolaou, D.I.; Lekkas, E.L. (2009). "Advances and limitations of the Environmental Seismic Intensity scale (ESI 2007) regarding near-field and far-field effects from recent earthquakes in Greece: implications for the seismic hazard assessment". In Reicherter, K.; Michetti, A.M.; Silva, P.G. (eds.). Palaeoseismology: Historical and Prehistorical Records of Earthquake Ground Effects for Seismic Hazard Assessment. Geological Society, Special Publications. Vol. 316. pp. 11–30. doi:10.1144/SP316.2. ISBN 9781862392762. S2CID 130603646.
  8. ^ Jarvis, Ruth, ed. (2004). Time Out Athens. Penguin Books. p. 236. ISBN 9780141010557.
  9. ^ Maria Thermou (November 25, 2008). "Η ανάσταση του Μον Παρνές" [The Resurrection of Mont Parnes]. To Vima (in Greek). Retrieved December 22, 2024.
  10. ^ Anastasiadis A. N.; et al. "The Athens (Greece) Earthquake of September 7, 1999: Preliminary Report on Strong Motion Data and Structural Response". Institute of Engineering Seismology and Earthquake Engineering. MCEER. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 22 March 2011.
  11. ^ "Bu dostluk bitmez" (in Turkish)

Sources

  • Br J Surg. 2004 Dec;91(12):1633–40. Autopsy findings from 111 deaths in the 1999 Athens earthquake as a basis for auditing the emergency response. Papadopoulos IN1, Kanakaris N, Triantafillidis A, Stefanakos J, Kainourgios A, Leukidis C.

Further reading

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