2005 Zarand earthquake

2005 Zarand earthquake
Tehran
Bam
Date February 22, 2005 (2005-02-22)
Origin time 02:25:23 UTC [1]
Magnitude 6.4 Mw [1]
Depth 15.5 km (10 mi) [1]
Epicenter 30°43′N 56°49′E / 30.72°N 56.81°E / 30.72; 56.81Coordinates: 30°43′N 56°49′E / 30.72°N 56.81°E / 30.72; 56.81 [1]
Type Reverse [2]
Areas affected Iran
Total damage $80 million USD [2]
Max. intensity VIII (Severe) [3]
Peak acceleration 0.51 g [4]
Casualties 612 dead, 1,411 injured [2]

The 2005 Zarand earthquake affected several villages in the Kerman province of Iran on February 22 at 05:55:23 local time. The shock measured 6.4 on the moment magnitude scale and had a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). Zarand is located 740 km southeast of Tehran. The maximum recorded peak ground acceleration was 0.51 g at Shirinrud dam. The United States' National Earthquake Information Center and the Belgian' Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters both show that 612 died and 1,411 were injured in the event.

Damage and casualties

Four villages, each having around 1,000 inhabitants, were reported completely destroyed, and 30% to 70% of buildings in more than 40 villages were reported damaged. It is estimated that the population of the affected area exceeds 30,000. A great portion of population of several villages are severely affected because of poor condition of buildings. The epicenter of the quake was in a mountainous and sparsely inhabited area. It is believed that the death toll could have been much higher if the quake had stricken a more densely populated area like Bam.

Previous events

The region of Zarand is close to an active fault, known as the Kuhbanan fault in the north east of the city. Its trend is northwest-southeast and its length is 160 km. Zarand has been hit by several quakes in the last 70 years, with the oldest recorded one going back to 1933. On December 21, 1977, the area was hit by a 6.2-magnitude earthquake leaving 521 dead and 3 villages completely destroyed. On December 26, 2003, another devastating earthquake happened in Bam, 200 km southwest of Zarand, which is in the same province.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 ISC (2015), ISC-GEM Global Instrumental Earthquake Catalogue (1900–2009), Version 2.0, International Seismological Centre
  2. 1 2 3 USGS (September 4, 2009), PAGER-CAT Earthquake Catalog, Version 2008_06.1, United States Geological Survey
  3. ↑ Berberian, M. (2014), Earthquakes and Coseismic Surface Faulting on the Iranian Plateau, Developments in Earth Surface Processes (1st ed.), Elsevier, p. 621, ISBN 978-0444632920
  4. ↑ EMSC, Earthquake Mw 6.3 in Iran on February 22nd, 2005 at 02:25 UTC, European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre

See also

External links

Wikinews has related news: 6.4 magnitude earthquake hits Iran
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