The scandinavian earthquakes of 22 december 1759 and 31 august 1819

Disasters. 1988 Sep;12(3):223-36. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-7717.1988.tb00672.x.

Abstract

The two largest known pre-1850 Scandinavian earthquakes are the 22 December 1759 Kattegat event (located at 57.7°N-11.1°E) and the 31 August 1819 Nordland event (located at 66.4°N-14.4°E), the latter being the largest north European near-shore earthquake of the past few centuries. The 22 December 1759 event caused minor damage to buildings (MMIVII) on either side of the Kattegat in Northern Jutland and in the Swedish province ofBohuslän, and was felt up to 600 km away. The 31 August 1819 earthquake caused widespread damage (MMIVIII) to stone components of wooden buildings in the sparsely populated region of Nordland Norway, as well as very extensive rockfalls, liquefaction phenomena and a remarkable variety of disturbances in fjords and in the sea. The earthquake was felt throughout northern Scandinavia over distances of up to 800 km.