INSIGHT INTO THE 1988 SPITAK EARTHQUAKE
THROUGH THE 1948 ASHGABAT DISASTER LESSONS

Schmidt Institute of Physics of the Earth, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

e-mail: al_sidorin@hotmail.com

Abstract. The article was prepared in connection with two sad memorable dates of seismology: at the very end of 2018, 70 years passed from the day of the Ashgabat earthquake of 1948 and 40 years from the 1988 Spitak earthquake. The first of them occurred on the night of October 5−6, 1948, and caused virtually complete destruction of the capital of Turkmenistan − Ashgabat, the second − around noon on December 7, 1988 and caused huge destruction in the northern part of Armenia. As a result of each of these earthquakes, several tens of thousands of people died. The article compares the main parameters of the centers of both earthquakes, their aftershocks and manifestations in the natural environment, caused by destruction, etc. The conclusion is drawn about the great similarity of the compared events in different aspects of their manifestation. The main lessons of the Ashgabat earthquake are formulated and an attempt is made to consider various aspects of the Spitak earthquake through the prism of these lessons. It is concluded that the main causes of total destruction at the epicenter of the Ashgabat earthquake are similar to the causes of the damage caused by the 1988 earthquake in Northern Armenia, even in small details. Summarizing, in both cases they can be defined as serious (by 2–3 points) and deliberate underestimation of the seismic hazard, together with a general disregard for the norms of earthquake-resistant design and construction, the rules for the operation of buildings. In other words, the main lesson of the Ashgabat earthquake was not learned, which was the main reason for the large-scale Spitak tragedy. The lesson of the Ashgabat earthquake, important for seismology, as the need to equip earthquake-prone zones with the appropriate task of seismic equipment, protected in case of destruction of the premises in which it is located, has not been learned. In both cases, the authorities were unprepared for emergency situations. As a positive point, an example of a good learning from the lessons of the Ashgabat earthquake can be noted the creation of the Emergency Reporting Service shortly after this earthquake, which was instructed to provide prompt notification to authorities and interested organizations of strong earthquakes. The scientific aspects of the Ashgabat earthquake, its influence on the development of seismology and how this helped in the study of the Spitak earthquake are also considered.

Keywords: 1948 Ashgabat earthquake, 1988 Spitak earthquake, focal parameters, earthquake disaster, comparison of earthquakes, earthquake lessons.

About the authors

SIDORIN Alexander Ya. – Cand. Sci. (Phys. and Math.), head of laboratory, Schmidt Institute of Physics of the Earth, Russian Academy of Sciences. Russia, 123242, Moscow, Bolshaya Gruzinskaya st., 10-1. Tel.: +7 (499) 254-42-68. E-mail: al_sidorin@hotmail.com

Cite this article as: Sidorin A.Ya. Insight into the 1988 Spitak Earthquake through the 1948 Ashgabat Disaster lessons, Geofizicheskie Protsessy i Biosfera (Geophysical Processes and Biosphere), 2019, vol. 18, no. 4, pp. 212–224 (in Russian). https://doi.org/10.21455/gpb2019.4-18

English version: Izvestiya, Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics, 2019, vol. 55, iss. 11. ISSN: 0001-4338 (Print), 1555-628X (Online). https://link.springer.com/journal/volumesAndIssues/11485