List of earthquakes in Afghanistan

This is a list of earthquakes in Afghanistan. Fairly moderate earthquakes have been very destructive in the country, particularly in the years 1998, 2002 and 2023. This can be blamed on the population residing in mostly informal and adobe houses, which are extremely vulnerable to earthquake shaking.[1]

Tectonic setting[edit]

Afghanistan is situated near the southern extent of the Eurasian Plate.[2]

Earthquakes[edit]

Date Place Lat Lon Deaths Injuries Mag. MMI Comments
2023-10-07 Herat 34.610 61.924 1,480 2,400 6.3 Mw  VIII Four earthquakes and aftershocks/Extreme damage. [3]
2023-03-21 Badakhshan 36.523 70.979 21 424 6.5 Mw  V Moderate damage, 21 deaths including 10 in Pakistan. [4]
2022-09-06 Badakhshan 36.649 70.629 6 9 4.8 Mw  III Further damage [5]
2022-09-04 Kunar 34.662 70.701 18 42 5.1 Mw  VII Moderate damage [6]
2022-07-18 Khost 33.108 69.470 44 5.1 Mw  V Additional damage / aftershock [7]
2022-06-24 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan 33.017 69.538 5 11 4.2 Mw  VII All deaths in Afghanistan / aftershock [8]
2022-06-21 Khost 33.092 69.514 1,163 2,976 6.0 Mw  VIII Extreme damage/landslides [9]
2022-05-24 Hindu Kush 36.118 70.293 2 1 4.9 Mw  VI Minor damage [10]
2022-02-05 Hindu Kush 36.445 71.117 3 5.8 Mw  IV [11]
2022-01-17 Badghis 34.946 63.580 30 49 5.3 Mw  VI [12]
2018-01-31 Hindu Kush 36.54 70.82 2 22 6.1 Mw IV
2016-04-10 Ishkashim 6 28 6.6 Mw V
2015-10-26 Hindu Kush 36.52 70.37 399 2,536 7.5 Mw VII
2013-04-24 Jalalabad-Mehtar Lam 34.53 70.22 18 130 5.6 Mw V [13]
2012-06-11 Baghlan 36.05 69.30 75 - 5.4, 5.7 V Doublet [14]
2010-04-18 Samangan 35.71 67.68 11 - 5.6 VI [15]
2009-10-22 Hindu Kush 36.52 70.95 5 - 6.2 V [16]
2009-04-16 Near Kabul 34.19 70.08 19 51 5.2 Mw VI Doublet
2005-12-12 Hindu Kush 36.28 71.11 5 1 6.5 Mw V
2002-03-25 Hindu Kush 35.93 69.19 2,000 3,000 6.1 Mw VII
2002-03-03 Hindu Kush 36.5 70.48 166 Some 7.4 Mw VI
1999-02-11 Kabul 34.3 69.36 70 500 6.0 Mw VI [17]
1998-05-30 Takhar 37.17 70.09 4,000–4,500 10,001 6.5 Mw VI
1998-02-04 Takhar 37.17 70.14 2,323 818 5.9 Mw VI
1991-04-20 Badakhshan 36.416 70.912 4.1 Mw  III 100 houses damaged [18]
1991-04-08 Badakhshan 37.457 68.273 1 6 5.5 Mw  VII Moderate damage [19]
1991-01-31 Hindu Kush 35.99 70.42 848 200 6.9 Mw VII Extreme damage [20]
1990-07-13 Hindu Kush 36.415 70.789 43 2 6.4 Mw  IV Deaths due to avalanche in Tajikistan. [21]
1985-07-29 Hindu Kush 36.190 70.896 5 38 7.4 Mw  VIII Severe damage in Pakistan and Tajikistan as well. [22]
1984-02-16 Hindu Kush 36.431 70.826 4 13 6.4 Mw  IV Severe damage [23]
1984-02-01 Nangarhar 34.616 70.484 1 35 6.1 VII Minor damage [24]
1983-12-31 Hindu Kush 36.37 70.34 12–26 60–483 7.2 Mb VII Severe damage [25]
1982-12-16 Baghlan 36.148 69.011 450 Many 6.6 Ms  VI Severe damage [26]
1981-06-13 Samangan 36.176 67.827 1 2 5.5 Mw  VI [27]
1918-11-15 Hindu Kush 36.202 70.711 7.8 Mw  V [28]
1842-02-19 Jalalabad 34.4 70.5 500 Severe damage [29]
818-05-15 Hindu Kush 36.8 66.2 Many 7.5 Ms VIII Severe damage [30]
Note: The inclusion criteria for adding events are based on WikiProject Earthquakes' notability guideline that was developed for stand alone articles. The principles described also apply to lists. In summary, only damaging, injurious, or deadly events should be recorded.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "PAGER". USGS. 21 June 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  2. ^ Ambraseyes, N.; Bilham, R. (2003), "Earthquakes in Afghanistan", Seismological Research Letters, 74 (2): 107, Bibcode:2003SeiRL..74..107A, doi:10.1785/gssrl.74.2.107
  3. ^ Health Cluster; World Health Organization (10 October 2023). "Afghanistan Earthquake in Herat Province, Health Situation Report No. 4 10 October 2023". ReliefWeb. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  4. ^ "M 6.5 - 40 km SSE of Jurm, Afghanistan". United States Geological Survey. 21 March 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  5. ^ "M 4.8 - 30 km SW of Jurm, Afghanistan". United States Geological Survey. 2 September 2022.
  6. ^ "M 5.3 - 34 km NE of Jalālābād, Afghanistan". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2022-09-05.
  7. ^ "M 5.1 - 49 km WNW of Khōst, Afghanistan". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  8. ^ "M 4.3 - 49 km W of Miran Shah, Pakistan". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  9. ^ "M 5.9 - 46 km SW of Khōst, Afghanistan". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2022-06-22.
  10. ^ "M 5.0 - 63 km SE of Farkhār, Afghanistan". United States Geological Survey.
  11. ^ "M 5.7 - 45 km SW of Ashkāsham, Afghanistan". United States Geological Survey.
  12. ^ "M 5.3 - 41 km E of Qala i Naw, Afghanistan". United States Geological Survey.
  13. ^ "67 Significant Earthquakes where Country = AFGHANISTAN". Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  14. ^ "Afghan quakes: Landslide killed 80, says governor". BBC News. 12 June 2012. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
  15. ^ USGS. "M5.6 - central Afghanistan". United States Geological Survey.
  16. ^ USGS. "M6.2 - Hindu Kush region, Afghanistan". United States Geological Survey.
  17. ^ "M 6.0 - 27 km WNW of ?uk?mat? Azrah, Afghanistan". United States Geological Survey.
  18. ^ "M 4.1 - 50 km S of Jurm, Afghanistan". United States Geological Survey.
  19. ^ "M 5.5 - 14 km ESE of Boshchorbogh, Tajikistan". United States Geological Survey.
  20. ^ NGDC 1972
  21. ^ "M 6.4 - 50 km S of Jurm, Afghanistan". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  22. ^ "M 7.4 - 75 km S of Jurm, Afghanistan". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  23. ^ "M 6.4 - 48 km S of Jurm, Afghanistan". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  24. ^ "M 6.1 - 21 km N of Jal?l?b?d, Afghanistan". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  25. ^ NGDC 1972
  26. ^ "M 6.6 - 14 km NW of Nahr?n, Afghanistan". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  27. ^ "M 5.5 - 19 km WSW of Aībak, Afghanistan". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  28. ^ "M 7.8 - Hindu Kush region, Afghanistan". United States Geological Survey. November 15, 1921. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  29. ^ NGDC 1972
  30. ^ NGDC 1972

Sources

Further reading[edit]

  • Ambraseys, N.; Bilham, R. (2003), "Earthquakes in Afghanistan", Seismological Research Letters, 74 (2): 107–123, Bibcode:2003SeiRL..74..107A, doi:10.1785/gssrl.74.2.107, ISSN 0895-0695
  • Rehman, Khaista; Ali, Wajid; Ali, Asghar; Ali, Aamir; Barkat, Adnan (2017), "Shallow and intermediate depth earthquakes in the Hindu Kush region across the Afghan-Pakistan border", Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 148: 241–253, Bibcode:2017JAESc.148..241R, doi:10.1016/j.jseaes.2017.09.005, ISSN 1367-9120
  • Stenz, Edward (1945), "Strong Earthquakes in Afghanistan", Bulletin of the Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences in America, 3 (2): 398–411, JSTOR 24724993
  • Wheeler, Russell L. 2005. Seismotectonic Map of Afghanistan, with Annotated Bibliography [electronic Resource] / by Russell L. Wheeler ... [et Al.] ; Prepared Under the Auspices of the U.S. Agency for International Development, U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey. Reston, Va: U.S. Dept. of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey.


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