Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dsjbd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-01T09:17:24.388Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Material for the Investigation of the Seismicity of Libya

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 March 2015

N. N. Ambraseys*
Affiliation:
Imperial College of Science ands Technology, Universsity of London

Extract

A historical monument may be vulnerable to earthquakes but it will be at no risk unless there is a finite probability of such an event occurring at the site during the lifetime of the structure. We define earthquake risk as follows:

Equation (1) expresses earthquake risk as a function of the seismic hazard, that is of the probability of occurrence of a damaging earthquake, or earthquakes, during the lifetime of the structure and of the vulnerability of the structure to damage or destruction by an earthquake, or earthquakes, of damaging intensity.

Seismic hazard is obviously beyond human control, but an accurate knowledge of it from seismicity studies over a long period of time is possible.

The vulnerability of modern buildings to earthquake forces is the subject-matter of engineering; it is determined by the physical characteristics of structures and it can be assessed, controlled and reduced by appropriate action, though sometimes at a cost which must be justified by a diminished probability of loss.

The vulnerability of old buildings, non-engineered structures and of historical monuments, whose dynamic characteristics are unknown and cannot easily be discovered, is difficult and quite often impossible to assess without irrecoverable intervention in the fabric of the structure.

Let us first examine the practical implications of the earthquake hazard in Libya.

Type
The Environment
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Libyan Studies 1994

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ambraseys, N. 1984. Material for the investigation of the seismicity of Tripolitania. Boll. Geof. Teor. Appl., 26: 143153.Google Scholar
Ambraseys, N. 1985. On the protection of monuments and sites in seismic areas. Proc. 2nd Intern. Meeting for the Restoration of the Acropolis Monuments: 207230. Publ. Ministry Culture and Science, Athens.Google Scholar
Ambraseys, N. 1988a. Engineering seismology. Journ. Earthq. Eng. & Struct. Dyn. 17: 70, 78.Google Scholar
Ambraseys, N. 1988b. Magnitude-fault length relationships for earthquakes in the Middle East. Proc. Hist. Seism. & Earthq., ed. Lee, W.: 309. Academic Press.Google Scholar
Ambraseys, N., Bommer, J. 1991. The attenuation of ground accelerations in Europe. Journ. Earthq. Eng. & Struct. Dyn. 20:11791202.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ambraseys, N., Melville, C., Adams, R. 1993. The Seismicity of Egypt, Arabia and the Red Sea. Cambr. Univ. Press (forthcoming).Google Scholar
Marcellinus, Ammianus, Rerum Gestarum, tr. Loeb, C. Rolfe., 1956.Google Scholar
Anonymi auctoris chronicon ad annum Chr. 1234 pertinens, tr. Chabot, I.. Corp. Scr. Christ. Orient., Scr.Syri. 56,1952.Google Scholar
Hebraeus, Bar (Girgis Abu'I-Faraj), Chronography, tr. Budge, E., 1932.Google Scholar
Baratta, M. 1901, I terremoti d'ltalia. Torino.Google Scholar
Bolt, B. 1978, Earthquakes. W. Freeman, San Francisco.Google Scholar
Cassiodorus, , Cassiodori historia tripartita, Patr. Lat., vol. 69, 1848.Google Scholar
Cedrinus, , Synopsis historion, Corpus Script. Hist. Byz., vol. 24, 1839.Google Scholar
anonyme, Chronique Syriaque, tr. Nau, F., Revue Or. Chret., vol. 3, 1908.Google Scholar
Chronicon Paschale, Corp. Scr. Hist. Byz., Bonn, 1832.Google Scholar
Coronelli, R. 1696. Isolario: 200. Venice.Google Scholar
Teilmahre, Dionysius, tr. Nau, F., Revue Or.Chret., vol. 1, 1897.Google Scholar
Di Vita, A. 1986. I terremoti a Gortina in eta Romana e proto-bizantina. Annuario Scuola Arch.Atene 57–58: 435440. Rome.Google Scholar
Di Vita, A., Procaccini, P., Pucci, G. 1978. Lo scavo a nord del mausoleo punico-ellenistico A di Sabratha. Libya Antiqua 12: 8–21, 2629.Google Scholar
Dressdnische Gelehrte Anzeigen, 1756, von Erdbeben, Nachrichten, no. 2-40. Dresden.Google Scholar
Sinaia, Elias Bar, Nisibinus, , Opus chronologicum, tr. Brooks, W., 1954.Google Scholar
Feissel, D. 1985. Inventaires d'un recueil des inscriptions historiques de Byzance-III. Centr. Res. Hist. Civil. Byz., Trav. et Mem. vol. 9.Google Scholar
Monachos, Georgios, Georgii Monachi chronicon, Patr. Gr., vol. 110, 1894.Google Scholar
Glycas, , Michaelis Glycae annates, Corp. Script. Hist. Byz., vol. 16, 1836.Google Scholar
Goodchild, R. G. 1967. A coin-hoard from Balagrae and the earthquake of A.D. 365. Libya Antiqua, 3: 203211.Google Scholar
Goodchild, R. G. 1968. Earthquakes in ancient Cyrenaica, ed. Barr, F., Petrol. Explor. Soc. Libya, 10th Ann. Field Conf: 4144, Amsterdam.Google Scholar
Hieronymus, , Vita Sancti Hilarionis, Patrol. Lat., vol. 23, 1845.Google Scholar
Hieronymus, , Commentariorum in Isaiam, Patrol. Lat., vol. 24, 1847.Google Scholar
al-Athir, Ibn, al-Kamilfi 'l-tarikh, ed. Tornberg, C., 8.694, Leiden 1876.Google Scholar
'Idhari, Ibn, al-Bayan al-mughrib, ed. Colin, G., vol. 2, p. 166, 238, Leiden, 1948.Google Scholar
Idatius, , Idatii descriptio consilium, Patr. Gr., vol. 51, 1846.Google Scholar
Edessa, Jacob, Chronicon Iacobi Edesseni, tr. Brooks, E., Corpus Scr. Christ. Orient., Scr. Syri, vol. 6, 1907.Google Scholar
Jacques, F., Bousquet, B. 1983. Le cataclysme du 21 juillet 365: phènoméne régional ou catastrophe cosmique?. Actes Colloque IV Recontr. Intern. d'Archéol. Hist. d'Antibes: 183196.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jacques, F. 1984. Les séismes de l'antiquité tardive d'après les sources. Bull. Assoc. Géogr. Franc. 499: 4955.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jacques, F., Bousquet, B. 1984. Le raz de marée du 21 juillet 365 du cataclysme local à la catastrophe cosmique. Mélanges Ecole Franc. Rome 96:423461.Google Scholar
Cassian, John, Collationes, ed. Petscheng, M., Cprp. Scr. Eccl. Latin., vol. 13, 1866.Google Scholar
Kraeling, C. 1962, Ptolemais, City of the Libyan Pentapolis. 4582. Chicago.Google Scholar
Lepelley, C. 1984. L'Afrique du nord et le prétendu séisme universel du 21 juillet 365. Mélanges Ecole Franc. Rome 96:463491.Google Scholar
Libanius, , Libanii opera, ed. Förster, R., vol. 2, Leipzig.Google Scholar
Lipparini, T. 1940. Tettonica e geomorfologia délia Tripolitania. Boll. Soc. Geol. Ital. 59: 251.Google Scholar
Mallik, D., Morghem, F. 1977. Earthquake zoning of Libya. Proc. 6th World Conf. Earthq. Eng., 2: 487488. Rome.Google Scholar
Scotus, Marianus, Chronicon, Patrol. Lat., vol. 147, 1853.Google Scholar
le Syrien, Michel, Chronique, tr. Chabot, J., Brussels 1963.Google Scholar
Milne, J. 1911. A Catalogue of Destructive Earthquakes 7 to 1899. Brit. Assoc. Adv. Sci., Portsmouth.Google Scholar
Minami, K. 1965. Relocation and reconstruction of the town of Barce, Libya. UNESCO Rep. no. WS/0865.76-AVS, Paris.Google Scholar
Nikiu, , The Chronicle of John Nikiu, tr. Ethiopie text by R. Charles, 1916.Google Scholar
Orosius, , Pavli Orosii historiarum, ed. Zangemeister, C., 1882.Google Scholar
Patrologia Graeca, vol. 25, p. 210.Google Scholar
Diaconus, Paulus, Historia Romana, ed. Droysen, H., Monum. Germ. Hist. Auct. Ant., vol. 2, 1879.Google Scholar
Pirazzoli, P. A. 1986. The early Byzantine tectonic paroxysm, Zeitsch. Geomorphol, N. Folg. Supl., vol. 62, pp. 3149.Google Scholar
Platakis, 1950. Oi seismoi tis Kritis, Kritika Chronika, vol. 4, p. 473, Heraklion.Google Scholar
Pseudo-Dionysius, , Chronicon, ed. Chabot, J., Corp. Scr. Chri. Orient. Scr. Syri, vol. 121, 1949.Google Scholar
Roques, D. 1987. Synésios de Cyréne et la Cyrénaique du Bas-Empire, pp. 4152, Paris.Google Scholar
Russell, K. 1980. The earthquake of May 19, A.D. 363, Bull. Amer. Sehl. Orient. Res., no. 238, pp. 4764.Google Scholar
Scriptores Historiae Augustae, Gall v.2, ed. Hermann, P., Leipzig 1884.Google Scholar
Scholasticus, Socrates, The ecclesiastic history, tr. Schaff, P. & Wace, H., 1952.Google Scholar
Sozomen, , History of the church, tr. Hartranft, C., 1952.Google Scholar
Stucchi, S. 1975. Architettura Cirenaica, pp. 228, 234, 333–334, 351, 360, 363, 418, 445, 536.Google Scholar
al-Suyuti, , Kashf al-salsala 'an wasfal-zalzala, ed. Sa'adani, , 26.31, Fez, 1971.Google Scholar
Theophanes, , Chronographia, ed. de Boor, C., Leipzig, 1883.Google Scholar
al-Umari, , al-Athar al-jaliya fi hawadith al-ardiyya, MS Baghdad Acad. f.53v.Google Scholar
Zosimos, , Zosimi comitis et exadvocati fisci historia nova, ed. Mendelssohn, L., Leipzig, 1887.Google Scholar