Contemporary publications in Europe on the Spanish earthquake of 1884

Abstract

On 25th December 1884, a damaging earthquake shocked the Granada-Malaga (Spain) region, followed by a large number of aftershocks. This is the largest earthquake (Imax= IX-X, EMS-98, estimated magnitude 6.7) in southern Spain, with 750 persons killed and 1500 injured, and 4400 houses destroyed. After the occurrence of the main shock, a considerable number of reports on the damage caused by the catastrophic Andalusian earthquake were published mainly during the following year (1885) in several European journals, as well as in bulletins of scientific societies and books. A few of them were anonymous notes while others were signed by the most important geologists and seismologists from different European countries. Exceptional cases are the publications from the members of the three commissions (Spanish, French and Italian) that were specifically appointed to study this Andalusian earthquake, with the participation of prestigious seismologists, such as Macpherson, Mercalli, Taramelli, Fouqué, and Barrois. We present detailed information about the publications that appeared mainly during the following year (1885) of the occurrence of this earthquake. The prompt study of the Andalusian earthquake provided an opportunity for the scientific community at that time to present and disseminate new modern ideas about the nature of earthquakes and their relationship with the geodynamic processes and geology of the region abandoning the traditional explosive source.