Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
4.
1456, December 4, between 20 and 21 h. Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy, Bay of Naples.
41
◦
18
N, 14
◦
42
E.
A catastrophic earthquake, mostly embracing the mountainous regions of
the Apennine Range, continued for approximately 6 min. In the Bay of Naples,
the sea was so rough that people on the shore 'felt as if they were being attacked by
thousands of devils', while people on ships and galleys felt doomed.
5.
1494, July 1, 16 h. Hellenic Arc, Island of Crete.
35
.
5
◦
N, 25
.
5
◦
E.
A strong earthquake shook the island. In the harbour, great waves tore ships off
their anchors.
...
The water changed colour many times.
6.
1564, July 20(27), 23 h. Ligurian Sea, Italy, France.
44
◦
N, 7
◦
17
E.
An extremely strong earthquake with its source apparently in the Maritime Alps,
possibly, in the valley of river La Vesubie. It embraced Nice, Provence, Villefranche,
San Remo, Porto Maurizio and so on.
The sea near Nice and Villefranche receded (became lower by 'one spear') and
its bottom was uncovered; many fish were left there, including, also, some unknown
species (deep-water fish?).
7.
1693, January 11, 21 h. Calabrian Arc. Island of Sicily, the eastern coast.
37
◦
10
N, 15
◦
01
E.
At 04 h on January 9, Sicily was enveloped by a strong earthquake preceded
by a boom.
...
Sailors in one of the boats near the Island of Malta reported that
the sea suddenly became rough (stormy) without any reason. The seismic process
reached its culmination on January 11, when, according to chronicles, a catastrophic
earthquake originated and caused, together with the fires that arose, the death of
60,000 inhabitants.
...
No fish were caught during 15 days after the earthquake.
8.
1694, September 8, 17 h 45 min. Adriatic Sea, eastern Italy.
40
◦
48
N,
15
◦
35
E.
A catastrophic earthquake occurred.
...
The sea carried a stink of silt, mud, and
it lasted for over half an hour.
9.
1707, May. Aegean Sea, Island of Thira, volcano Santorini.
Formation of a new islet. The first underground shocks on Santorini were quite
frequent on May 18, 21 and 24. A new islet began to appear at dawn of the 23rd
between the Islands of Palaia and Micra Kameni. Fishermen landed on it several
days later. But the rocks on the islet were in motion, everything shook under their
feet.
...
Numerous elevations appeared above the sea waves, only to vanish and then
reappear. The colour of the sea around this islet, which was called 'white', changed
time and again.
10.
1742, january 16, 19, 20-27 (maybe February 9). Ligurian Sea, Tuscany
district. 01.19(20)
43
◦
5
N, 10
◦
2
E, I = VII; 01.27, 43
◦
32
N, 10
◦
15
E.
Livorno was subjected to intensive seismic influence. The state of the sea was
continuously changing: it sometimes rose and then immediately became lower, then
turned stormy, then quietened down. Fishermen, who were at sea between the banks
Meloria and Gorgona on January 19, saw the sea run very high within a small area
and white foam rise to a great height with a terrible roar. The 'high-running' part
of the sea rushed toward the old fortress (Livorno), so that for several moments
the fortress could not even be seen.
