The 1641 Tabriz earthquake occurred on the night of February 5 in present-day
East Azerbaijan province, Iran. The earthquake had an estimated
surface-wave magnitude
The surface wave magnitude (M_s) scale is one of the magnitude scales used in seismology to describe the size of an earthquake. It is based on measurements of Rayleigh surface waves that travel along the uppermost layers of the Earth. This ma ...
of 6.8 and an
epicenter between
Lake Urmia and the city of
Tabriz. It was one of the most destructive earthquakes in the region, resulting in the loss of up to 30,000 lives.
Tectonic setting
Iran is situated on an active convergent boundary zone where the Arabian and Eurasian plates
collide. The convergence occurs along the
Zagros Mountains where it is accommodated by an active
fold and thrust belt. The convergence is also accommodated within central Iran by strike-slip faults. At Tabriz, the rate of convergence is estimated to be about 20 mm/yr. The city is located near a
triple junction of the Arabian, Anatolian and Eurasian plates. The oblique convergence results in continental collision beneath the
Caucasus and right-lateral strike-slip tectonics around Tabriz. One of the most prominent fault is the North Tabriz Fault, a WNW–ESE-trending, fault. The fault produced devastating earthquakes in 1721, 1780, and 1786.
Earthquake
The 6.8 earthquake ruptured a fault structure located south of the North Tabriz Fault.
The North Tabriz Fault itself did not rupture during the quake. The plausible location of the earthquake is along the Dehkhargan Fault, a left-lateral fault.
Normal fault features are a common occurrence in the earthquake area.
It strikes NE–SW between the cities of
Osku and
Azarshahr
Azarshahr ( fa, آذرشهر; also Romanized as Āz̄arshahr, Âzaršahr, Azərşəhr, or Āz̄ar Shahr; also known as Tufarqan (Persian: توفارقان), also Romanized as Dehkhvāreqān) is a city and capital of Azarshahr County, East Azerba ...
. The fault is located at the western base of
Sahand, a volcano, where a measured offset of was recorded.
Damage
Researchers
Nicholas Ambraseys
Nicholas Neocles Ambraseys FICE FREng (Greek: Νικόλαος Αμβράζης του Νεοκλή, 19 January 1929 – 28 December 2012) was a Greek engineering seismologist. He was emeritus professor of engineering seismology and senior rese ...
and
Charles P. Melville
Charles P. Melville (born 10 May 1951) is a British academic who has been Professor of Persian History at the University of Cambridge since 2008. He is the President of the British Institute of Persian Studies. He was one of the editors of ''The ...
reported that the earthquake occurred on a Friday night.
The communities of
Khosrowshah
Khosrowshah ( fa, خسروشاه; also known as Khosrowshahr, Khusraushāh, and Khusroshāh) is a city and capital of Khosrowshah District, in Tabriz County, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 12,794, in 3,619 f ...
, Osku and what is now present-day Azarshahr were completely devastated. Nearly all houses and public infrastructures, including historical monuments in Tabriz were razed to the ground. Many
public baths and
caravansaries
A caravanserai (or caravansary; ) was a roadside inn where travelers ( caravaners) could rest and recover from the day's journey. Caravanserais supported the flow of commerce, information and people across the network of trade routes covering ...
were destroyed. A building in the city collapsed and buried many animals that were taking shelter from the winter season. Two important structures, the Masjid-i Ustad-Shagird and
Arg of Tabriz suffered heavy damage. A large number of mosques experienced serious damage to their domes and minarets. The shock was also felt in
Baghdad.
On Sahand, a rockslide was triggered, destroying a village and killing many. Fissures appeared in the ground and erupted water. The earthquake was misdated to the years 1441, 1049, 1639, 1642, 1646, and 1651. Efforts to recover personal belongings and the dead continued for a month.
Aftershock
In seismology, an aftershock is a smaller earthquake that follows a larger earthquake, in the same area of the main shock, caused as the displaced crust adjusts to the effects of the main shock. Large earthquakes can have hundreds to thousand ...
s were felt for six months. In the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, many survivors resided outside the ruins of their homes. Some residents returned to their homes but were killed due to collapses during the aftershocks.
During the first two months after the earthquake, up to seven aftershocks were felt in a day.
See also
*
List of historical earthquakes
*
List of earthquakes in Iran
References
{{Earthquakes in Iran
1641 earthquakes
History of Tabriz
1641 in Asia
Earthquakes in Iran
History of East Azerbaijan Province