The 1494 and 1680 Malaga (Southern Spain) Earthquakes

Abstract

In 1494, the city of Malaga, in southern Spain, was shaken by an earthquake that caused significant damage throughout the entire Malaga province. Two centuries later, in 1680, another destructive shock caused even greater damage in Malaga city and nearby towns. Because the area has experienced a great deal of urbanization over the past 30 years, another large earthquake in this region could have devastating consequences. With this in mind, we have undertaken a reappraisal of the damages caused by these two historic earthquakes, using new documents found in archives, libraries, etc. Earthquakes in the Malaga region are associated with the plate boundary between Eurasia and Africa. The seismicity of this region is characterized by the occurrence of moderate earthquakes, with magnitudes in general less than 5.0, at shallow depth (h < 40 km; Figure 1A). There is also important seismic activity at intermediate depth (40 < h < 150 km) with a N-S distribution of epicenters near Malaga (Buforn et al. 1995). The distribution of historical shocks with maximum MSK (Medvedev-Sponheuer-Karnik scale) intensities equal to or larger than VIII (Figure 1B) shows an important concentration of large earthquakes along the Spanish coast. According to Instituto Geografico Nacional (IGN) data files, three events with maximum EMS-98 (European Macroseismic Scale) intensities equal to or greater than VII have occurred in the Malaga region: 1494 (VIII), 1581 (VII), and 1680 (VIII–IX) (Martinez Solares and Mezcua 2002). The last damaging event in the area was the 1884 Arenas del Rey (Granada) earthquake (I = IX–X; Munoz and Udias 1981), which caused significant damage in Malaga city (Figure 1B). This study focuses on earthquakes with epicenters near Malaga city, so the 1884 earthquake is not considered. On 26 January 1494, a large shock occurred in the south of Spain. It was felt in …