Effects and Lessons of the 1948 Ashgabat Earthquake

Abstract

In connection with the 70th anniversary of the Ashgabat earthquake of October 5, 1948, the paper considers various viewpoints on the maximum intensity of the effects, seismic dislocations, focal mechanism, number of deaths, and other aspects. Solutions to some controversial problems are suggested. Photographs are presented showing environmental impacts and destruction of buildings associated with the earthquake; these images were taken from the personal archive of Professor V.F. Bonchkovsky, renowned geophysicist, Honored Scientist of the USSR, Doctor of Physics and Mathematics, and the head of the Commission of the USSR Academy of Sciences, who conducted a long-term comprehensive study of the effects of the earthquake in the epicentral region. Also used are documents and photographs from the archive of the Schmidt Institute of Physics of the Earth, Russian Academy of Sciences. The most important consequences of the earthquake and its influence on the development of seismology, including engineering, are considered.