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
Afghanistan is situated near the southern extent of the Eurasian plate .[ 2]
Earthquakes
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
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
1994-05-01
Mazar-i-Sharif
36.901
67.163
160
330
6.1 Mw
Severe damage
[ 18]
1991-04-20
Badakhshan
36.416
70.912
4.1 Mw
III
100 houses damaged
[ 19]
1991-04-08
Badakhshan
37.457
68.273
1
6
5.5 Mw
VII
Moderate damage
[ 20]
1991-01-31
Hindu Kush
35.99
70.42
848
200
6.9 Mw
VII
Extreme damage
[ 21]
1990-07-13
Hindu Kush
36.415
70.789
43
2
6.4 Mw
IV
Deaths due to avalanche in Tajikistan .
[ 22]
1985-07-29
Hindu Kush
36.190
70.896
5
38
7.4 Mw
VIII
Severe damage in Pakistan and Tajikistan as well.
[ 23]
1984-02-16
Hindu Kush
36.431
70.826
4
13
6.4 Mw
IV
Severe damage
[ 24]
1984-02-01
Nangarhar
34.616
70.484
1
35
6.1
VII
Minor damage
[ 25]
1983-12-31
Hindu Kush
36.37
70.34
12–26
60–483
7.2 Mb
VII
Severe damage
[ 26]
1982-12-16
Baghlan
36.148
69.011
450
Many
6.6 Ms
VI
Severe damage
[ 27]
1981-06-13
Samangan
36.176
67.827
1
2
5.5 Mw
VI
[ 28]
1918-11-15
Hindu Kush
36.202
70.711
7.8 Mw
V
[ 29]
1842-02-19
Jalalabad
34.4
70.5
500
Severe damage
[ 30]
818-05-15
Hindu Kush
36.8
66.2
Many
7.5 Ms
VIII
Severe damage
[ 31]
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
References
^ "PAGER" . United States Geological Survey. 21 June 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2022 .
^ 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
^ 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 .
^ "M 6.5 – 40 km SSE of Jurm, Afghanistan" . United States Geological Survey. 21 March 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2023 .
^ "M 4.8 – 30 km SW of Jurm, Afghanistan" . United States Geological Survey. 2 September 2022.
^ "M 5.3 – 34 km NE of Jalālābād, Afghanistan" . United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2022-09-05 .
^ "M 5.1 – 49 km WNW of Khōst, Afghanistan" . United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 18 July 2022 .
^ "M 4.3 – 49 km W of Miran Shah, Pakistan" . United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 24 June 2022 .
^ "M 5.9 – 46 km SW of Khōst, Afghanistan" . United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2022-06-22 .
^ "M 5.0 – 63 km SE of Farkhār, Afghanistan" . United States Geological Survey.
^ "M 5.7 – 45 km SW of Ashkāsham, Afghanistan" . United States Geological Survey.
^ "M 5.3 – 41 km E of Qala i Naw, Afghanistan" . United States Geological Survey.
^ "67 Significant Earthquakes where Country = AFGHANISTAN" . Retrieved 21 March 2024 .
^ "Afghan quakes: Landslide killed 80, says governor" . BBC News. 12 June 2012. Retrieved 12 June 2012 .
^ "M5.6 – central Afghanistan" . United States Geological Survey.
^ "M6.2 – Hindu Kush region, Afghanistan" . United States Geological Survey.
^ "M 6.0 – 27 km WNW of ?uk?mat? Azrah, Afghanistan" . United States Geological Survey.
^ "M 6.1 – Central Afghanistan" . United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2024-05-15 .
^ "M 4.1 – 50 km S of Jurm, Afghanistan" . United States Geological Survey.
^ "M 5.5 – 14 km ESE of Boshchorbogh, Tajikistan" . United States Geological Survey.
^ NGDC 1972
^ "M 6.4 – 50 km S of Jurm, Afghanistan" . United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 13 October 2021 .
^ "M 7.4 – 75 km S of Jurm, Afghanistan" . United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2 November 2021 .
^ "M 6.4 – 48 km S of Jurm, Afghanistan" . United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2 November 2021 .
^ "M 6.1 – 21 km N of Jal?l?b?d, Afghanistan" . United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2 November 2021 .
^ NGDC 1972
^ "M 6.6 – 14 km NW of Nahr?n, Afghanistan" . United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2 November 2021 .
^ "M 5.5 – 19 km WSW of Aībak, Afghanistan" . United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 3 May 2023 .
^ "M 7.8 – Hindu Kush region, Afghanistan" . United States Geological Survey. November 15, 1921. Retrieved 2 November 2021 .
^ NGDC 1972
^ NGDC 1972
Sources
Further reading
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.