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1989 Malawi earthquake
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Natural disaster in Malawi
October 2024
1989 Malawi earthquake 1989-03-10 21:49:47 409791 iscgem409791 yes 1989 03 10 23:49:47 Malawi
6.3 w yISC-GEM Global Instrumental Earthquake Catalogue (1900–2009) http://www.isc.ac.uk/iscgem/index.php ISC 2015 International Seismological Centre Version 2.0 28 km on 13.74 S 34.41 E region:MW_type:event inline,title Dip-slipPAGER-CAT Earthquake Catalog https://earthquake.usgs.gov/static/lfs/data/pager/catalogs/ 4 September 2009 United States Geological Survey Version 2008_06.1 8Harsh K. Gupta Siyan Malomo The Malawi Earthquake of March 10, 1989: Report of Field Survey Seismological Research Letters 1995 66 1 20–27 10.1785/gssrl.66.1.20 https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/ssa/srl/article-abstract/66/1/20/141992/The-Malawi-Earthquake-of-March-10-1989-Report-of?redirectedFrom=PDF GeoScienceWorld 1995SeiRL..66a..20G subscription EXPO-CAT Earthquake Catalog https://earthquake.usgs.gov/static/lfs/data/pager/catalogs/ 1 December 2008 United States Geological Survey Version 2007-12 Malawi At least 9 people killed and 100 injuredhttps://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/today/index.php?month=3&day=10&submit=View+Date Today in Earthquake History-March 10 26 June 2008 United States Geological Survey 31 January 2008
The 1989 Malawi earthquake occurred on 10 March in central Malawi, with a moment magnitude of 6.3 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). It was preceded by a number of foreshocks, the largest being a 5.7 w y shock on the previous day. The earthquake was felt strongly throughout central Malawi, and also felt in parts of Mozambique (Niassa and Tete Provinces) and Zambia (Eastern Province). Nine people were killed, with many others injured or left homeless.
Geology
The 1989 Malawi earthquake was the result of a dip-slip fault in the Malawi rift system, part of the larger East African Rift. It is believed to have occurred at a depth of about 30 km mi on, with the lack of surface faulting being attributed to its occurrence at a relatively deep level.Jackson James Blenkinsop Tom 1993 The Malawi Earthquake of March 10, 1989: Deep Faulting Within the East African Rift System http://orca.cf.ac.uk/50645/ Tectonics 12 5 1,131–1,139 10.1029/93tc01064 1993Tecto..12.1131J
The International Seismological Centre (ISC) placed the epicentre of the 1989 Malawi earthquake at 13.74 S 34.41 E inline, although the accuracy of their determination was affected by the lack of seismic stations in the area – the closest was 300 km mi on away, and there were only two within 900 km mi on. It has been suggested that the margin of error for the epicentre is consequently around 20 km mi on.
The earthquake triggered landslides in the Manyani Hills, around 90 km mi on east northeast of Kasungu. Slumping of 2 km mi on in length and 1 km mi on in width was observed, and attributed to heavy rainfall earlier in the year combined with deforestation-related soil exposure. There was also a large rock fall in the Chongomi Mountains of Dedza District, which resulted in hillside scarring. However, both of those areas were sparsely populated, and there were no reported casualties.
Damage and casualties
Nine people are known to have been killed as a result of the earthquake – six in Dedza, two in Salima, and one in Chitala. At least two of the deaths (one in Dedza and one in Chitala) were caused by roof collapses, in both cases occurring in houses with roofs built from blocks of baked clay (a non-standard method of construction).Gupta Harsh K. Harsh Gupta Malomo Siyan 1995 The Malawi Earthquake of March 10, 1989: Report of Field Survey http://srl.geoscienceworld.org/content/66/1/20 Seismological Research Letters 66 1 20–27 10.1785/gssrl.66.1.20 1995SeiRL..66a..20G subscription The total number of injuries from the earthquake has been estimated at 100, and the total number of people left homeless at about 50,000.
Urban areas were worst affected by the quake, as houses were more likely to be built of brick and thus more susceptible to cracking. The major building with the most visible damage was the Nanjoka Railway Station complex, which developed severe cracks in its walls and was subsequently abandoned. The Chitala Farm Institute, an agricultural school, was also heavily damaged. In rural areas, most dwellings were simple huts, built by pasting mud or clay onto timber frames. These were left mostly undamaged.
Aftermath
In the same month as the earthquake, Malawi was hit by a cyclone and suffered severe flooding. The combination of natural disasters left over 200,000 people homeless and led to the government appealing for international assistance.Kalley Jacqueline Schoeman Elna Andor Lydia Eve 1999 Southern African Political History: A Chronology of Key Political Events from Independence to Mid-1997 https://books.google.com/books?id=oVrVK2ElINMC Greenwood 190 978-0313302473 A field study conducted in October 1989 concluded that the March 1989 earthquake "should be treated as an eye opener, drawing attention to the potential of medium-size earthquakes hitting major cities in Malawi".Gupta Harsh K. 1992 The Malawi earthquake of March 10, 1989: a report of the macroseismic survey Tectonophysics 209 1 165–166 10.1016/0040-1951(92)90018-2 1992Tectp.209..165G free
References
External links
M 6.2 – Malawi – United States Geological Survey
409791
Category:Earthquakes in Africa
Category:Natural disasters in Malawi
Malawi earthquake, 1989
Malawi earthquake, 1989
Category:March 1989 in Africa