2002 Hindu Kush earthquakes

Earthquakes in northern Afghanistan

2002 Hindu Kush earthquakes

UTC time| 2002-03-03 12:08:19
| 2002-03-25 14:56:33
ISC event| 5267309
| 2947182
USGS-ANSS|
| ComCat
| ComCat
Local date|
| March 3, 2002 (2002-03-03)
| March 25, 2002 (2002-03-25)
Local time| 16:38
| 19:26
Magnitude| 7.4 Mw
| 6.1 Mw
Depth| March 3 – 226 km (140 mi)
8 km (5 mi)
Epicenter| 36°30′N 70°29′E﻿ / ﻿36.5°N 70.48°E﻿ / 36.5; 70.48
Type| Dip-slip
Max. intensity| March 3 - VI (Strong)[1]
March 25 - VII (Very strong)[2]
Casualties|

* 166 dead, some injured (March 3 event)[3]
* 1,200 dead (March 25 event)

The 2002 Hindu Kush earthquakes struck in northern Afghanistan during the month of March. At least 166 people were killed with a very large and intermediate-depth mainshock on March 3. Three weeks later, at least 1,200 were killed during a moderate but shallow event that had a maximum Mercalli intensity of VII (Very strong). The M7.4 and M6.1 reverse events were focused in the Hindu Kush mountain range area.[1][2]

## Tectonic setting[edit]

Northern Afghanistan lies within the broad zone of continuing collision between the Indian Plate and the Eurasian Plate. The area is seismically active, particularly as a result of faulting at just over 200 km depth within the descending slab. Many large events of M ≥ 7 have been observed in the Hindu Kush, all with similar epicenters, with an approximate periodicity of about 10–15 years. These events have reverse fault focal mechanisms, which for the near-vertical slab indicates active extension. It has been proposed that these earthquakes are a result of "necking" of the downgoing slab, a process that may eventually lead to break-off.[4]

Smaller shallow focus earthquakes are also observed in the region, particularly associated with north–south trending zones of right lateral strike-slip, such as the Chaman Fault, with an increasing degree of shortening to the north, together accommodating the highly oblique convergence between the Indian Plate and the Eurasian Plate.[5]

## Earthquakes[edit]

The earthquake on March 3 had a magnitude of 7.4 Mw , with a hypocentral depth of 225.6 km. The focal mechanism is consistent with reverse faulting within subducting oceanic crust. Comparison with similar earthquakes in 1993 and 2015, which have very similar depths and epicenters, suggests that the major component of the slip in all three events occurred on the same part of the fault.[4]

The earthquake on March 25 had a magnitude of 6.1 Mw , with a hypocentral depth of 8.0 km. It had a reverse fault mechanism that occurred on one of two possible moderately-dipping north–south trending faults.

## Damage[edit]

### March 3 event[edit]

At 12:08:19 UTC a 7.4 tremor hit an area 65 km (40 mi) S of Feyzabad, Afghanistan. At least 150 people were killed, several injured and 400 houses damaged or destroyed by a landslide that dammed and flooded Surkundara Valley, Samangan Province. At least 13 people were killed at Kabul and Rostaq and 3 people killed in Bajaur, Pakistan. At least 300 houses were destroyed in Badakhshan and Takhar Provinces. A 45 meter wide fissure opened in Xiker Reservoir in Xinjiang, China. This was a deep focus event and was felt in much of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Felt also in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and India.[1]

### March 25 event[edit]

At 14:56:33 UTC, a magnitude 6.1 tremor hit an area 160 km (99 mi) southwest of Feyzabad, Afghanistan. The United Nations estimated approximately 1,200 people dead and 20,000 families affected. This was a shallow focus event and was felt strongly in much of northern Afghanistan. Also felt in the Islamabad-Peshawar area, Pakistan and at Dushanbe, Tajikistan.[2] In Nahrin, many homes collapsed; the maximum Modified Mercalli intensity was assigned VII (Very strong). The high death toll and heavy damage was attributed to poor construction—most homes were constructed of mud brick.[6]

## See also[edit]

* Earth sciences portal
* Afghanistan portal

* List of earthquakes in 2002
* List of earthquakes in Afghanistan

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b c USGS. "M7.4 - Hindu Kush region, Afghanistan". United States Geological Survey.
2. ^ a b c USGS. "M6.1 - Hindu Kush region, Afghanistan". United States Geological Survey.
3. ^ National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service (NGDC/WDS) (1972), Significant Earthquake Database (Data Set), National Geophysical Data Center, NOAA, doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K
4. ^ a b Zhan, Z.; Kanamori, H. (2016). "Recurring large deep earthquakes in Hindu Kush driven by a sinking slab". Geophysical Research Letters. 43 (14): 7433–7441. Bibcode:2016GeoRL..43.7433Z. doi:10.1002/2016GL069603. S2CID 31948667.
5. ^ Ambraseys, N.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. S2CID 130945532.
6. ^ Yeats, Robert S.; Madden, Christopher (2003). "Damage from the Nahrin, Afghanistan, Earthquake of 25 March 2002". Seismological Research Letters. 74 (3): 305–311. Bibcode:2003SeiRL..74..305Y. doi:10.1785/gssrl.74.3.305.

Sources

* Yeats, R. S.; Madden, C. (2003), "Damage from the Nahrin, Afghanistan, Earthquake of 25 March 2002", Seismological Research Letters, 74 (3): 305–311, Bibcode:2003SeiRL..74..305Y, doi:10.1785/gssrl.74.3.305

## External links[edit]

* The International Seismological Centre has a bibliography and/or authoritative data for this event.
* ReliefWeb's main page for this event.

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* e

← Earthquakes in 2002 →

January|

* Port Vila (7.2, Jan 2)

February|

* Afyon (6.5, Feb 3) †

March|

* Hindu Kush (7.4/6.1, Mar 3/25) † ‡
* Mindanao (7.5, Mar 5)
* Hualien (7.1, Mar 31)

April|

* Morobe (5.3, April 1)
* Au Sable Forks (5.1, April 20)
* Kosovo (5.7, April 24)
* Tbilisi (4.8, April 25)

June|

* Bou'in-Zahra (6.5, Jun 22) †

July|

* Burica Peninsula (6.5, Jul 30)

September|

* Wewak (7.6, Sep 9)

October|

* Kalehe (6.2, Oct 24)
* Molise (5.9, Oct 31)

November|

* Simeulue (7.3, Nov 2)
* Denali (7.9, Nov 3)

† indicates earthquake resulting in at least 30 deaths
‡ indicates the deadliest earthquake of the year

* v
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* e

Earthquakes in Afghanistan

20th century|

* 1956 Baghlan
* 1983 Hindu Kush
* 1990 Hindu Kush
* 1991 Hindu Kush
* February 1998
* May 1998

21st century|

* 2002 Hindu Kush
* April 2009
* October 2009
* 2010
* 2012
* 2013 Laghman
* October 2015 Hindu Kush
* December 2015 Hindu Kush
* 2016
* January 2022
* June 2022
* September 2022
* 2023 Badakhshan
* 2023 Herat

* v
* t
* e

Earthquakes in Pakistan

Pre-20th century|

* 1555 Kashmir
* 1885 Kashmir

20th century|

* 1935 Quetta
* 1945 Balochistan
* 1974 Pattan
* 1981 Darel Valley
* 1983 Hindu Kush
* 1991 Hindu Kush
* 1992 Kohat
* 1997 Harnai

21st century|

* 2002 Hindu Kush
* 2005 Kashmir
* 2005 Hindu Kush
* 2008 Ziarat
* 2011 Dalbandin
* 2013 Saravan
* 2013 Laghman
* 2013 Balochistan
* 2014 Pakistan
* 2015 Islamabad
* October 2015 Hindu Kush
* December 2015 Hindu Kush
* 2019 Azad Kashmir
* 2021 Balochistan
* 2022 Durand Line
* March 2023

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