Earthquake in Buryatia. How often are earthquakes in Buryatia?

The earthquake in Buryatia is not a rare phenomenon. This is explained by the geographic location of the republic: located on the territory of the Baikal rift, it is doomed to experience periodic outbreaks of seismic activity.

Theoretical training

The cause of the appearance of tremors is different: artificial are caused by anthropogenic factor, natural - by the forces of nature. Most of the most destructive earthquakes are of natural origin and occur due to the collision of huge strata of the earth's crust, called tectonic plates or platforms. Each year, such tremors occur about a million - and most of them remain unnoticed.

How is the earthquake strength measured?

The location of the earth's crust, where its displacement occurs and where seismic waves propagate, is called the focus, and the surface of the planet above it is the epicenter of the earthquake. In this place, tremors are most powerful.

It is customary to talk about the intensity and magnitude of an earthquake. Often these concepts are confused - and in vain, these are completely different things. The intensity of the earthquake is measured by its consequences: a 1-point can be recorded only by a seismograph, a 12-point map changes the terrain and bears absolute destruction.

Seismograph - an instrument that measures the magnitude of an earthquake. For this purpose, the Richter scale, containing from 1 to 9.5 divisions, is most often used. When jolting up to 5 points in the room swings objects, up to 6 - cracks in the walls. At 9 points, great destruction is inevitable. The earthquake with a 9-magnitude magnitude occurred in 2011 in Japan - the consequences were terrible (and this is in a prosperous country that is not accustomed to seismic activity).

Where to wait for the earthquake

If you look at the map, it's easy to see that earthquakes stick to certain "lines" on the globe. In the world there are two belts of seismic activity: the Mediterranean-Asian and Pacific "fire ring".

About 28% of the dangerous regions in Russia are from this point of view. 9-point earthquakes are possible in the Baikal area, Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands. Thus, the Republic of Belarus is located on one of the most prone to earthquakes in the country.

The most impressive earthquake in Buryatia occurred in 1862 - then the Tsagan steppe with an area of 230 square km left, and a new bay of Baikal was formed, called the Failure.

Seismic activity in recent years

According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, over the past 7 years more than 500 seismic events of different intensity have been recorded in Buryatia.

The earthquake that hit the national press in Buryatia in 2011 occurred on December 27: it shook Tuva by 6.7 points. But local media reported on the tremors on January 26 (5.3 points), on February 2 (6.7), on May 28 (5.4), on July 17 (5.9). Seismologists have started talking about the fact that such activity is not good. A series of shocks can foreshow a strong earthquake in Buryatia, which occur in the republic about once every 60 years.

However, experts are cunning: there is no way to foresee this phenomenon of nature , although scientists from many countries have been struggling with the problem for a long time. Fish and domestic animals have achieved more notable successes: some time before the earthquake, dogs, cats, parrots and even aquarium inhabitants are anxious, trying to escape from the limited space. At many seismic stations, specialists observe the behavior of animals: some of them are able to predict an earthquake in a few hours and even days before it begins.

However, let us return to the seismic situation in Belarus

In 2013, the total number of earthquakes exceeded a hundred, but the press recorded about five. The magnitude of the tremors of the strongest of them was 4.6 points. By the standards of the republic, this is almost nothing.

The next year was more productive. The earthquake in Buryatia on August 12, 2014, by force of 4.2 points, was not the first one that got to press - in May the republic was shaken by 6.5 points on the Richter scale. This is quite a lot - but, fortunately, the epicenter was far from populated areas, there were no devastations and casualties. In November, registered an earthquake with a magnitude of 4.8 points, and on December 7 the last earthquake in Buryatia occurred last year. 2014 is over, began 2015 - and the situation has not changed at all: since January the republic has been "shaking" more than 30 times, the force of shocks ranged from 3.2 to 4.5 points.

Reading the free press

What a good news event for news sites is an earthquake. The Republic of Buryatia in this aspect is a gold mine for the media: the population is frightened, experts can once again cross swords and debate for a long time on the extent to which the destruction in Ulan-Ude will be large, shake this area by 8-9 points. These conversations, unfortunately, are not at all groundless. If there is such a strong earthquake, serious destruction is inevitable in Buryatia: a huge part of buildings in the capital do not meet the norms of seismic safety.

Meanwhile, for a person who is interested in this topic, two things are obvious:

1. There are no statistics of seismic activity of the region in the open access. Those interested can, of course, get acquainted with the relevant publications in the media, but the feeling of "some understatement" remains.

2. There is no information on seismic characteristics of Buryat new buildings in open access. And this is a little alarming.

Lessons of life safety

Every inhabitant of a dangerous region should know how to behave in an earthquake.

1. If the elements found in the building, do not try to get out: it's better to sit on the floor in one of the interior corners of the apartment, stand in the doorway, grabbing for the doorposts, or climb under the heavy table and take hold of his legs. From outside walls, windows and mirrors you need to stay away. In no case can not use the elevator: it can jam between the floors.

2. In the street it is necessary to go to the maximum open space, without approaching shaking walls, bursting windows or scraps of wires. On the shore of the sea (lake) it is better to keep on an elevation so as not to be covered by a wave.

3. If an earthquake caught in the car, you should move away from bridges, trees and overpasses and it's better to stay inside: some, no, but protection.