List of earthquakes in Egypt

Seismic hazard for the Eastern Mediterranean from the Global Seismic Hazard Assessment Program (GSHAP) in terms of peak ground acceleration with a 10% chance of being exceeded (or a 90% chance of not being exceeded) within the next 50 years

This is a list of earthquakes in Egypt, including earthquakes that either had their epicenter in Egypt, or caused significant damage in Egypt.

Seismic hazard

Seismic hazard in Egypt is highest at the southern end of the Gulf of Suez, the northern Red Sea and around the Gulf of Aqaba, the location of the active plate boundaries. The highest risk is the southern end of the Dead Sea Transform.

Notable earthquakes

Date Time‡ Place Lat Long Fatalities Mag. Comments Sources
November 27, 885 Cairo 30.0 31.1 1,000 X [1]
March 18, 1068 morning Hejaz
see 1068 Near East earthquake 		29.5 34.95 ~20,000 ≥7.0 Affected a wide area of Egypt, Sinai, Hejaz. The location given is the macroseismic epicenter, although the earthquake was probably located in the Gulf of Aqaba
September 2, 1754 Cairo
see 1754 Cairo earthquake 		30.8 31.0 40,000 The death toll is questioned, but is not unreasonable for a shallow earthquake in an area of high population density [2]
August 7, 1847 Faiyum 29.5 30.5 185 XI [3]
October 12, 1856 02:38 or 02:45 Crete, Greece

see 1856 Heraklion earthquake

35.5 26.0 10+ 7.7-8.3 Mw  Despite having an epicenter off the Greek islands, the earthquake was so powerful that in Egypt, intensity VIII was experienced. This caused damage to Alexandria, Cairo and the Nile delta with several deaths.
September 12, 1955 06:09 Offshore Alexandria
see 1955 Alexandria earthquake 		32.2 29.6 18 6.3 Ms 89 injured
March 31, 1969 07:15 Red Sea, Sharm El Sheikh
see 1969 Sharm El Sheikh earthquake 		27.58 33.9 2 6.6 Mw 15 injured
October 12, 1992 13:09 Dahshur, Egypt
see 1992 Cairo earthquake 		29.778 31.144 561 5.8 mb 12,392 injured [4]
November 22, 1995 04:15 Gulf of Aqaba
see 1995 Gulf of Aqaba earthquake 		28.826 34.799 9–12 7.3 Mw 30–69 injured

See also

References

  1. ^ National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service (NGDC/WDS): NCEI/WDS Global Significant Earthquake Database. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. (1972). "Significant Earthquake Information". NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  2. ^ National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service (NGDC/WDS): NCEI/WDS Global Significant Earthquake Database. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. (1972). "Significant Earthquake Information". NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  3. ^ National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service (NGDC/WDS): NCEI/WDS Global Significant Earthquake Database. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. (1972). "Significant Earthquake Information". NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  4. ^ "رئيس الوزراء فى حديث"للاهرام"حول قضايا الساعه:شقه جديده بالمرافق خلال هذا الشهر لكل من انهار مسكنه". Al-Ahram. 1 November 1992. Retrieved 23 November 2022.

Further reading

  • Ambraseys, NN; Melville, CP; Adams, RD (2005), The Seismicity of Egypt, Arabia and the Red Sea: A Historical Review, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 9780521020251