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The 1755 Lisbon earthquake and the beginning of closure of the Atlantic

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 April 2006

A. RIBEIRO
Affiliation:
Departamento de Geologia, Faculdade de Ciências, 58 Rua da Escola Politécnica, 1250 Lisboa, Portugal. E-mail: aribeiro@fc.ul.pt Departamento de Geologia, Campo Grande, Ed C6, 4 piso – 1749–016 Lisboa – Portugal
L. MENDES-VICTOR
Affiliation:
Departamento de Geologia, Faculdade de Ciências, 58 Rua da Escola Politécnica, 1250 Lisboa, Portugal. E-mail: aribeiro@fc.ul.pt
J. CABRAL
Affiliation:
Departamento de Geologia, Faculdade de Ciências, 58 Rua da Escola Politécnica, 1250 Lisboa, Portugal. E-mail: aribeiro@fc.ul.pt
L. MATIAS
Affiliation:
Departamento de Geologia, Faculdade de Ciências, 58 Rua da Escola Politécnica, 1250 Lisboa, Portugal. E-mail: aribeiro@fc.ul.pt
P. TERRINHA
Affiliation:
Departamento de Geologia, Faculdade de Ciências, 58 Rua da Escola Politécnica, 1250 Lisboa, Portugal. E-mail: aribeiro@fc.ul.pt

Abstract

The 1755 Lisbon earthquake and tsunami had one of the highest magnitudes in the history of Europe. The source mechanism requires generation at a subduction zone. Intensity distribution and tsunami modelling excludes the Gorringe Bank as a source area and suggests generation by the incipient convergence of the Atlantic with the Southwest Iberia and Morocco margin rather than at the less active Gulf of Cadiz Accretionary Prism. The comparison with the 2004 Sumatra earthquake and tsunami supports this interpretation. A tsunami warning alert system is urgent for the Atlantic.

Type
Lisbon Earthquake: Part 1
Copyright
Academia Europaea 2006

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