Problematic historical earthquakes in the Baikal region

Abstract

Macroseismic data on strong historical earthquakes of the 18th–19th centuries are presented that are unknown to a wide range of seismologists and therefore missing in earthquake catalogs. The data are related to such earthquakes as the 1715 (1716) Nerchinsk and 1727 Kirensk, and ones occurred in the southern Baikal region in 1809 and in the region near cape of Svyatoi Nos in 1862. Additional information about the earthquake of 1771 is given that considerably refines the parameters of this event. The earthquakes of 1725, 1742, 1772, and 1885 and interpretations of evidence doubted by various researchers are also considered.