1717 Guatemala earthquake
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1717 Guatemala earthquake
Coordinates: 14°34′00″N 90°44′00″W / 14.566667°N 90.733333°W
| Date | September 29, 1717 |
|---|---|
| Magnitude | ~7.4 Mw |
| Depth | n/d |
| Epicenter | Probably in or around Antigua Guatemala |
| Countries or regions |  Guatemala |
| Casualties | n/d |
The 1717 Guatemala earthquake was an earthquake that struck Guatemala on September 29, 1717 and had an estimated magnitude of 7.4 Mw.[1] With an intensity of approximately MM IX,[1] the earthquake essentially destroyed much of the architecture of Antigua Guatemala, which was the colonial capital of Central America at the time. Over 3000 buildings were ruined including many temples and churches. Such was the effect of the disaster that the authorities considered moving the headquarters to a settlement which was less prone to natural disasters.[1]
Later earthquakes meant that after the 1773 earthquake the town had been moved three times. In 1776, after the Santa Marta earthquakes, the Spanish Crown finally ordered the capital to be moved to a safer location, in the Valley of the Shrine, where Guatemala City, the modern capital of Guatemala, now stands.
References
- ^ a b c Rose, William Ingersol, Natural Hazards in El Salvador, pp.394 Geological Society of America. Retrieved February 10, 2008
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