Looking into the ancient history of Earth, into climate history and geology in particular, we bump into a series of catastrophic events that happened at different moments and that lead to different kinds of massive life extinctions. Some more dramatic than others. End of the World narratives and eschatology topics – we used to speculate about …
The Beirut earthquake of 551 AD
The 551 Beirut earthquake occurred on 9 July 551. It had an estimated magnitude of about 7.6 on the moment magnitude scale and a maximum felt intensity of X (Intense) on the Mercalli intensity scale. It triggered a devastating tsunami which affected the coastal towns of Byzantine Phoenicia, causing great destruction and sinking many ships. …