What was the magnitude of the 1755 Lisbon earthquake?
1755 Lisbon earthquake
| Local time | 09:40 |
| Magnitude | 8.5–9.0 Mw (est.) |
| Epicenter | 36°N 11°WCoordinates: 36°N 11°W About 200 km (120 mi) west-southwest of Cape St. Vincent and about 290 km (180 mi) southwest of Lisbon |
| Fault | Azores-Gibraltar Transform Fault |
| Max. intensity | XI (Extreme) |
Which European capital city was devastated by an earthquake in 1755?
A devastating earthquake hits Lisbon, Portugal, killing as many as 50,000 people, on November 1, 1755. The city was virtually rebuilt from scratch following the widespread destruction.
Will Lisbon have another earthquake?
It also addresses recent research that suggests that Lisbon’s earthquake risk today is driven not by the prospect of a recurrence of a 1755-type event—which is estimated to have a return period of between 3,000 and 4,000 years—but rather by the possibility of an earthquake of more moderate magnitude, but one much …
Could the Lisbon earthquake happen again?
Is Portugal at risk of earthquake?
Several regions of Portugal are particularly vulnerable to earthquakes, greater Lisbon and Algarve, for example.
How tall was the tsunami that hit Lisbon in 1755?
The tsunami resulting from the 1755 earthquake was 9 meters high when it hit Lisbon. Prior to the first of the three tsunamis the water drained from the Rio Tejo estuary and revealed ship wrecks loaded with treasures.
Where was the epicentre of the Lisbon earthquake of 1755?
The epicentre of the Lisbon earthquake of 1755 was 200 Km from Cape Vicente in the Atlantic Ocean. This massive slip of the Azores-Gibraltar transform fault generated one of the largest tsunamis to hit Europe. The tsunami struck Lisbon 45 minutes after the earthquake had subsided.
What did Manuel da Maia do after the 1755 earthquake?
On 4 December 1755, a little more than a month after the earthquake, Manuel da Maia, chief engineer to the realm, presented his plans for the re-building of Lisbon. Maia presented four options from abandoning Lisbon to building a completely new city. The first, and cheapest, plan was to rebuild the old city using recycled materials.