If the founders of these 7 biggest cities that are on a major earthquake fault line knew what lies beneath the surface, they would have probably reconsidered settling there.
Earthquakes have been part of human history forever. Our ancestors suffered through them, fearful of whatever deity they thought was angry with them. Making the earth tremble and swallow entire cities or sending enormous waves to wipe out the coastline even today seems like a divine punishment, even though we know better. Every one of these 7 biggest cities that are on a major earthquake fault line has been a victim of earthquakes in the past. Their citizens are well aware of the risks. Modern science has discovered tectonic plates and fault lines long time ago, but predicting earthquakes is still nearly impossible, leaving the people little options but to try and live their lives as if a disaster isn’t looming just around the corner.
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Since 2004, just 4 most devastating earthquakes have been responsible for more than 600,000 deaths and hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of damage. While they can’t be prevented, catastrophic consequences of these beasts can be greatly mitigated. More developed countries with known earthquake risks invest in technologies that can reduce the damage and save people’s lives. Japan is one of the greatest examples. Although Fukushima has become a rallying cry for the opponents of the nuclear energy, the power plant itself withstand one of the most devastating earthquakes in human history, a 9.0 magnitude. Only when ensuing Tsunami disabled backup generators did the situation went FUBAR. Hopefully, the same building technology will prevent great loss of lives in case a major earthquake hits any of the biggest cities that are on a major earthquake fault line.
The trouble is, just like with the biggest cities on the San Andreas Fault Line, these are major population and economic centers. Some are even capitals of their nations. Despite modern building technology, there are plenty of high buildings that are prone to collapsing in case of major shaking. All these cities feature prominent skylines that can present a major risk in case of a big earthquake. Ranked according to the population in their respective metro areas, these biggest cities on a major earthquake fault line also have the biggest potential for human casualties in case of a major earthquake.
7. Manila, Philippines
Metro area population: 11,855,975
Manila is located above the Marikina Valley Fault System, consisting of East Valley Fault and West Valley Fault. Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology predicts that earthquake of magnitude 7.2 (which is predicted maximum for West Valley Fault) could cause $57 billion in damage and about 37,000 deaths.
6. Tehran, Iran
Metro area population: 12,183,391
The biggest threat to Tehran’s citizens in case of an earthquake would be the lack of sufficiently strict building code. The situation is so bad that some experts, like Bahram Akasheh, Tehran University geophysics professor, suggested moving the nation’s capital. Apparently, out of 32 fire station inside the city, only 5 are constructed according to the modern standards, allowing them to survive a major earthquake. If an earthquake similar to the one that hit he city in 1930 happens, Akasheh estimates that more than 80% of all buildings would collapse, trapping and possibly killing thousands. Tehran and Rey Faults running beneath the city may be primary suspects for causing such a disaster, but Mosha Fault going through nearby Alborz mountain Range may cause havoc as well.
5. Los Angeles, USA
Metro area population: 13,131,431
Although Los Angeles doesn’t lay above San Andreas Fault line, plenty of others are hidden beneath the city. Some of them are Newport-Inglewood Fault, Hollywood Fault, and Whittier Fault, a branch of Elsinore Fault. Recent measurements have discovered helium-3 leaks from Newport-Inglewood Fault, indicating that it is much deeper than originally thought and may, in fact, be older than San Andreas Fault.
4. Istanbul, Turkey
Metro area population: 14,377,019
North Anatolian Fault Line, one of the most active faults in the world, passes less than 30 miles from downtown Istanbul. The Princes Islands in the Sea of Marmara, which historically served for the housing of unwanted royalty from Byzantine and Ottoman courts could be a possible epicenter. The islands are part of Istanbul Adalar district and today are a very popular touristic destination.
3. Osaka, Japan
Metro area population: 19,341,976
Uemachi Fault Group consisting of Butsunenjiyama Fault, Uemachi Fault, and Nagai Fault runs beneath Osaka, the second largest population center in Japan. Ueamachi runs in North-South direction and is some 40 kilometers long. The fault zone is well researched with numerous boreholes that house sensors which could hopefully provide enough warning in case of the activation.
2. Jakarta, Indonesia
Metro area population: 30,326,103
According to geologist Lambok Hutasoit, more than ten fault lines crisscross under Jakarta, with numerous smaller ones that are still to be researched and mapped. The city is also surrounded with 5 major fault lines that that regularly rock Indonesia. So far, Jakarta has been spared of major shakes, the likes of which have caused devastation in other parts of Java. It remains to be seen how long will this be a fact.
1. Tokyo, Japan
Metro area population: 35,682,460
The biggest city on a major earthquake fault line is Tokyo. The only active fault line beneath the capital of Japan is Tachikawa Fault. The last activity along it has been more than 1,000 years ago and scientists believe that probability of major earthquake originating from Tachikawa is very low. Unfortunately for residents of Greater Tokyo Area, there are plenty of other fault lines crisscrossing Japan that could prove disastrous for one of the most densely populated population centers in the world. Tokai Fault line and Japan Median Fault lines are just two of the major fault lines that could bring destruction to the city. To complicate the situation further, a piece of Pacific tectonic plate is stuck under the city and is exposed to the enormous pressure.
