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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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1983 Liège Earthquake
The 1983 Liège earthquake occurred on 8 November 1983 at 01:49 Central European Time, with an epicenter near Remicourt in Liège Province, Belgium. It had a body wave magnitude of 4.7, with a depth of around 14 km. A Modified Mercalli Intensity of VIII (severe) was observed. The event was followed by more than 10 aftershocks. 2 people died, 30 were injured and over 16,000 buildings were damaged. The cost of damages have been estimated at between 42 million and 75 million euros. It is the biggest earthquake to have ever occurred in Belgium since the 1938 Zulzeke earthquake.

Geological setting

The region of Liège is tectonically situated on the southeastern corner of the Brabant Parautochthon and northeastern side of the Ardenne Allochthon, which are being seperared by the Midi-Eifelian Fault, a segment of the Variscan front thrust. The origins of the fault can be traced back to the Variscan orogeny, a late Paleozoic mountain formation process.

Earthquake

The earthquake struck on 8 November at Remicourt northwest of Liège. It was the largest to have struck Belgium since the 1983 Zulzeke earthquake. It was widely felt in Belgium and neighboring countries including the Netherlands, Germany and Luxembourg. A maximum intensity of VIII (severe) was observed. More than 10 aftershocks were recorded, the largest was recorded at ML 3.4.

The event occurred on the Midi-Eifellian fault, which is a right-lateral strike-slip fault, with a focal depth of 14 km. The estimated peak ground acceleration near the epicenter was between 0.13 and 0.20 g.

Impact

The total cost of damages as a result of the earthquake ranged from €42 million to €75 million. Two individuals lost their lives, one after a ceiling of a bedroom collapsed and another due to a heart attack, along with 30 reported injuries. More than 16,000 structures received damage, including chimneys, roofs and walls. Over 700 families were relocated.

Response

A few weeks after the earthquake, the Belgian government decided to reimburse part of the repair costs and invited the owners from the most affected localities to report the damage on their properties.

See also

References

  1. ^ International Seismological Centre (2023), On-line Bulletin
  2. ^ "Project VLA07-4.2 Compilatiestudie betreffende de seismiciteit in Vlaanderen". Project VLA07-4.2 Compilatiestudie Betreffende de Seismiciteit in Vlaanderen (in Dutch): 26.
  3. ^ Plumier, Andre; Camelbeeck, Thierry. "Le risque sismique et sa prévention en Région wallonne" (PDF). Le risque sismique et sa prévention en Région wallonne (in French).
  4. ^ Ahorner, L. (1985). "Macroseismic Observations of the Liège Earthquake on November 8, 1983, in West Germany". Seismic Activity in Western Europe. Vol. 144. pp. 313–318. doi:10.1007/978-94-009-5273-7_26. ISBN 978-94-009-5273-7. {{cite book}}: |journal= ignored (help)
  5. ^ García Moreno, D.; Camelbeeck, T. (7 August 2013). "Comparison of ground motions estimated from prediction equations and from observed damage during the M = 4.6 1983 Liège earthquake (Belgium)". Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences. 13 (8): 1983–1997. Bibcode:2013NHESS..13.1983G. doi:10.5194/nhess-13-1983-2013. ISSN 1684-9981.
  6. ^ Camelbeeck, Thierry (6 December 2012). Seismic Activity in Western Europe with Particular Consideration to the Liège Earthquake of November 8, 1983. Springer Dordrecht. pp. 233–248. ISBN 978-94-009-5273-7.
  7. ^ "USGS event page". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  8. ^ Dejonghe, Léon; Cambier, Geoffrey. "Systematic inventory and ordering of faults in Belgium Part 2" (PDF). Systematic Inventory and Ordering of Faults in Belgium Part 2.
  9. ^ "Earthquake in Belgium Kills 2 and Injures 26". The New York Times. Associated Press. 9 November 1983. ISSN 0362-4331.
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