Memory of the Earth and Human Memory of Natural Disasters: the 1953 Earthquake in Western Aragón (Spain)

Abstract

Occurred in 1953 in Used (Zaragoza province), an earthquake of magnitude 4.7 and intensity VII was the last destructive earthquake in the Aragón region, Spain. The remaining social memory of that event (a type of intangible geological heritage) and its influence on the perception of seismic hazard in the area are explored by means of interviews and a population survey. The results indicate that the memory is lively amongst the population within the epicentral area, both in the generation that experienced it and, to a lesser extent, in the following generations. However, this does not translate into a significant perception of seismic hazard, the latter being more influenced by cultural factors: in the epicentral area it is greater amongst people who did not live through the earthquake, but who have heard familiar stories or have had external information highlighteing its importance. The study of social perception is part of a citizen science project, in which the social memory enters into dialogue with the Memory of the Earth, i.e. the record left by that and other previous earthquakes in geology and landscape. The research on the effects of the shake on people, buildings, and environment has benefited from numerous testimonies from the elderly. Reciprocally, such knowledge is scientifically processed and returned to the citizens in the form of scientific outreach products (book, documentary film, talks), with the aim of promoting scientific culture about natural disasters.