Significant Earthquake

Date Earthquake Location Earthquake Parameters
Focal
Depth		 Magnitude MMI Int
Year Mo Dy Hr Mn Sec Name Latitude Longitude Mw Ms Mb Ml Mfa Unk
2003 5 21 18 44 20.1 ALGERIA: ALGIERS, BOUMERDES, REGHIA, THENIA 36.964 3.634 12 6.8 6.9 6.5 10
Significant Earthquake
Earthquake Effects Total Effects (Earthquake and Tsunami, Volcano, etc.)
Deaths Missing Injuries Damage Houses
Destroyed		 Houses
Damaged		 Deaths Missing Injuries Damage Houses
Destroyed		 Houses
Damaged
Num De Num De Num De $Mill De Num De Num De Num De Num De Num De $Mill De Num De Num De
2266 4 10261 4 5000.000 4 43000 4 43000 4 2266 4 10261 4 5000.000 4 43000 4


Comments for the Significant Earthquake

Comments for the Significant Earthquake

Display listing of nearby significant earthquakes

At least 2,266 people killed, 10,261 injured, about 180,000 homeless and more than 43,500 buildings damaged or destroyed (X) in the Algiers-Boumerdes-Dellys-Thenia area. Underwater telecommunication cables were cut and landslides, sandblows, liquefaction and ground cracks were observed. Maximum ground acceleration of 0.58g was recorded at Keddara. Damage estimated at between 600 million and 5 billion U.S. dollars. Felt from Mostaganem to Guelma and as far south as Biskra. Felt (III) on Mallorca and (II) on Ibiza and Menorca, Spain. Also felt (II) at Albacete, Alcantarilla, Alicante, Barcelona, Cartagena, Castellon de la Plana, Elda, Molina de Segura, Murcia, Sagunto and Villafranca del Panades, Spain. Felt in Monaco and southern France and on Sardinia, Italy. About 40 to 80 cm of uplift of the sea floor was measured along the coast of Algeria between Reghaia and Zemmouri el Bahri. A tsunami with a maximum estimated wave height of 2 m caused damage to boats in the Balearic Islands, Spain, especially in Puerto de Mahon, where 10 boats sank. (reference #1053)


References for the Significant Earthquake

References for the Significant Earthquake

ID Author Year Citation
1053 National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC) 1971 to present Preliminary Determination of Epicenters (PDE), a weekly and monthly publication, National Earthquake Information Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Golden, Colorado, 1971 to present.
3401 Bouhadad, Y., Nour, A., Slimani, A., Laouami, N. and D. Belhai 2004 The Boumerdes (Algeria) earthquake of May 21, 2003 (Mw=6.8): Ground deformation and intensity. Journal of Seismology, vol. 8, p. 497–506.