1912 Maymyo earthquake
The 1912 Maymyo earthquake was a powerful earthquake that struck Burma on the morning of May 23, 1912, with an epicentre near Taunggyi and Pyin Oo Lwin. The earthquake registered between magnitude 7.5 to 8.0, but most likely 7.9.[1][2][3] It was preceded by two foreshocks on May 18 and 21 with respective intensities V and VII on the Rossi-Forel scale. Shaking was felt throughout most of Burma, parts of Siam and Yunnan; an area covering approximately 375,000 square miles.[4] It was one of the largest earthquakes in the country.
  1912 Maymyo earthquake (Myanmar) | |
| UTC time | 1912-05-23 02:24:04 |
|---|---|
| ISC event | 16958191 |
| USGS-ANSS | ComCat |
| Local date | 23 May, 1912 |
| Local time | 09:00:00 |
| Duration | more than 60 seconds |
| Magnitude | 7.5-8.0 Mw |
| Epicenter | 22.35°N 96.737°E |
| Fault | Kyaukkyan fault |
| Type | Strike-slip |
| Areas affected | Myanmar |
| Total damage | Widespread and severe |
| Max. intensity | IX (Violent) |
| Casualties | 1 dead |
Tectonic setting
The earthquake is situated along the Kyaukkyan fault, a 500 km long right-lateral structure running through the Shan plateau.[5] It runs nearly parallel to the more dominant Sagaing fault. Many left and right-lateral faults are situated in the Shan plateau as a result of the rotating Sunda block. Earthquakes are common in that region including a magnitude 7.7 in 1988[6] and the deadly quake of 2011. The earthquake ruptured a 160 km section of the northernmost section of the Kyaukkayan Fault with a possible offset of 8 to 9 meters.[7] Other earthquakes have occurred on the same fault in 4660 BP, and 1270 BP.[7]
Earthquake
Pyin Oo Lwin
Witness reported the sound of thunder during the event. Wooden beams, bricks, and plaster fell from the Governor's House. Two chimneys fell off a station hospital and a roof of a family hospital collapsed. A Baptist church was seen swaying during the earthquake. Shaking intensity probably reached VIII (Severe) to IX (Violent). Many bungalows were damaged and some were unsafe for people. A major rockslide disrupted service on the Burma Railway between Nawnghkio and Hsum-hsai. Ground rupture was visible and a railway track was bent. Landslides occurred in a gorge near Gokteik station, which was also affected.[4] Class A brick masonry buildings suffered serious structural damage corresponding to Grade 4 on the European macroseismic scale (EMS).[8] Numerous landslides were triggered on the nearby mountain ranges and every pagoda in the city was completely obliterated.
Mandalay
Many witnesses mentioned difficulties attempting to stand during the event. A cathedral suffered extensive cracking throughout. The Wesleyan School also suffered major damage as a masonry building. Three-quarters of Class A brick buildings and nearly all pagodas and monasteries were damaged.[4] Five buildings suffered total collapse, Grade 5 on the EMS while an additional 31 sustained Grade 4 damage. On the Rossi–Forel scale, the shaking reached IX.[8]
Taunggyi
The shock lasted more than a minute there, nearly all chimneys had fallen and military buildings were in critical condition.[4]
Mogok
Shaking created cracks in brick buildings and collapsed several pagodas. Landslides damaged water pipelines and cut off power to the city for two nights.[4]
Other areas
In places slightly further away from the earthquake such as parts of Shan state, Bago region, Kachin state, Sagaing region, and Kayah state, noises were heard and shaking intensity ranged between VI (Strong) to VII (Very Strong). Some buildings cracked but the shaking was not enough to cause destruction.[4] In Hsipaw, many masonry buildings suffered serious damage, and chimneys collapsed. Liquefaction events took place in many parts.[8]
In northern and southern Burma, Yunnan, and parts of Siam, the shock had become a gentle rocking sensation and was felt by most of the population. The intensity here was between IV (Light) and V (Moderate). No damage was reported.[4]
In Rangoon and the Chin Hills, the earthquake was barely perceivable. However, the motion was still strong enough that lamps were seen swinging, oil and water in Seikkyi Kanaungto township was seen to sway about. Akyab marked the extreme point where shaking could still be felt, none was observed past the city.[4]
References
- ROBERT J. GELLER AND HIROO KANAMORI (1977). "MAGNITUDES OF GREAT SHALLOW EARTHQUAKES FROM 1904 TO 1952" (PDF). Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America. 67 (3): 587–598.
- "Significant Earthquakes Full Search, sort by Date, Country". www.ngdc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 2020-10-14.
- "Event 16958191 Myanmar". www.isc.ac.uk. Retrieved 2020-10-14.
- Brown, J. Coggin (1917). "The Burma Earthquake of May 1912". Memoirs of the Geological Survey of India. XLII – via SCRIBD.
- Caltech (25 April 2014). "Active tectonics and earthquake potentialof the Myanmar region". Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth.
- "M7.7 - Myanmar-China border region". earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2020-10-14.
- Silvia Crosetto, Ian M. Watkinson, Soe Min, Emanuela Falcucci, Stefano Gori, Pyi Soe Thein, Sudeep (2019). "Searching for the 1912 Maymyo earthquake: New evidence from paleoseismic investigations along the Kyaukkyan Fault, Myanmar". Quaternary International. 532: 75–86. doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2019.09.042. ISSN 1040-6182.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
- Ornthammarath, Teraphan (2019). "Seismic damage to ancient monuments in Chiang Saen (Northern Thailand): implication for historical earthquakes in Golden Triangle area". Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society A Mathematical Physical and Engineering Sciences (Phil Trans Math Phys Eng Sci). 377 (2155). doi:10.1098/rsta.2018.0255 – via The Royal Society.