  Tehran  | |
| Local date | 22 April 1853 |
|---|---|
| Local time | noon |
| Epicenter | 29°36′N52°30′E / 29.6°N 52.5°E [1] |
| Areas affected | Iran |
| Max. intensity | IX (Violent) |
| Casualties | 9,000–13,000 |
The Fars region of Iran was struck by a major earthquake on either 22 April [1] or 5 May 1853. [2] The city of Shiraz and the surrounding area were severely affected, with almost all buildings destroyed. At least 9,000 people were killed, with some estimates reaching 13,000. [1]
Iran lies across the complex plate boundary where the Arabian Plate is colliding with the Eurasian Plate. The Fars region lies within the outermost part of the Zagros fold and thrust belt. This Fars Domain is affected by the presence of thick Neoproterozoic salt of the Hormuz Formation, forming part of the so-called simply folded zone. Despite its name, the folding is accompanied by thrusting, with some strike-slip faulting, such as on the right-lateral Kazerun fault system. From the analysis of hypocentral depths and focal mechanisms, the earthquakes are caused by both faulting within the underlying basement and towards the base of the thick sedimentary cover sequence. Almost all earthquakes occur on blind faults, with no surface rupture. [3]
The sequence began at about dawn on the day before the mainshock, with the first of a series of foreshocks. These continued throughout that day and into the following morning. The mainshock occurred at about noon, followed by a major aftershock six hours later. [2]
The second foreshock caused severe damage in the Gawd-i Araban quarter, destroying a mosque, part of the bazaar and many houses, and causing widespread damage in the rest of the city. There was local ground liquefaction and some qanats collapsed. The third major foreshock, which occurred about 15 minutes before the mainshock, led to further damage, including the collapse of one of the minarets of the Masjid-i'Abbas mosque. [2]
The mainshock left the city devastated, all buildings and other structures within 12 km of the city were described as "ruined". Notable buildings that were either destroyed or severely damaged included the remaining parts of the Masjid-i'Abbas, the Shah Cheragh monument and mosque, the Armenian Church and the Madraseh Khan. [2] Most of the Masjid-i Nau also collapsed, while the Masjid-i Vakil and the Vakil Bazaar were mainly unaffected. [1]
The major aftershock later that day led to further damage and casualties. [2]
The 2006 Borujerd earthquake occurred in the early morning of 31 March in the South of Borujerd with destruction in Borujerd, Silakhor and Dorood areas of the Loristan Province in western Iran. The centre of the earthquake was in Darb-e Astaneh village south of the Borujerd City. The earthquake measured 6.1 on the moment magnitude scale.
The 2002 Denali earthquake occurred at 22:12:41 UTC November 3 with an epicenter 66 km ESE of Denali National Park, Alaska, United States. This 7.9 Mw earthquake was the largest recorded in the United States in 37 years. The shock was the strongest ever recorded in the interior of Alaska. Due to the remote location, there were no fatalities and only one injury.
The 1868 Ecuador earthquakes occurred at 19:30 UTC on August 15 and 06:30 UTC on 16 August 1868. They caused severe damage in the northeastern part of Ecuador and in southwestern Colombia. They had an estimated magnitude of 6.3 and 6.7 and together caused up to 70,000 casualties. The earthquake of 15 August occurred near El Ángel, Carchi Province, close to the border with Colombia, while that of August 16 occurred near Ibarra in Imbabura Province. Reports of these earthquakes are often confused with the effects of the earthquake of 13 August at Arica.
The 1893 Quchan earthquake occurred at about 19:30 local time on 17 November. It had an estimated magnitude of 6.6 on the surface wave magnitude scale and a maximum perceived intensity of IX (Violent) on the Mercalli intensity scale. It caused severe damage in Quchan County, particularly to the town of Quchan itself and there were an estimated 18,000 casualties.
The 2014 Murmuri earthquake occurred on August 18 in the Zagros Mountains of Iran with a moment magnitude of 6.2 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). The thrust earthquake injured 60–330 people and was followed by a number of high intensity aftershocks.
The 1780 Tabriz earthquake occurred at 01:15 local time on 8 January. It had an estimated magnitude of 7.4 and a maximum felt intensity of IX on the Mercalli intensity scale. The city of Tabriz was almost completely destroyed. The number of reported casualties varies from 40,000 to as many as 200,000, with 50,000 being a more likely estimate.
The 1812 Ventura earthquake occurred on the morning of December 21 at 11:00 Pacific Standard Time (PST). The 7.1–7.5 magnitude earthquake, with a Modified Mercalli intensity scale rating of X (Extreme), along with its resulting tsunami, caused considerable damage to present-day Santa Barbara and Ventura County, California, which was at the time a territory of the Spanish Empire. One person was killed as a result of the earthquake while another from the aftershock. The earthquake occurred just as the region was recovering from another event on the 8th of December the same year. Both events are thought to have been related.
The 1994 Mascara earthquake occurred on August 18 at 02:13 local time with an epicenter in a rural part of Algeria. The earthquake measured 5.8 on the moment magnitude scale (Mw ) and had a depth of 10 km (6.2 mi). It caused the deaths of 171 people, left up to 12,500 homeless, and destroyed thousands of homes in Mascara Province. Many homes were damaged or destroyed due to poor building quality which collapsed on the inhabitants and resulted in a majority of the casualties. The national government launched a rapid response effort in its aftermath.
The 1904 Kresna earthquakes occurred on the same day of April 4 in the Ottoman Empire. The pair of earthquakes measured 6.9 and 7.2 on the surface wave magnitude scale, and were assigned the respective Modified Mercalli intensity scale ratings of X (Extreme) and XI (Extreme). More than 200 people were killed in the two earthquakes. Several villages were obliterated as a result.
The 1885 Kashmir earthquake, also known as the Baramulla earthquake occurred on 30 May in Srinagar. It had an estimated moment magnitude of Mw 6.3–6.8 and maximum Medvedev–Sponheuer–Karnik scale intensity of VIII (Damaging). At least 3,081 people died and severe damage resulted.
The 2021 Hormozgan earthquakes was a doublet earthquake event in Iran that occurred on November 14, 2021 with magnitudes of 6.0 and 6.4 on the moment magnitude scale. The two quakes occurred just a minute and a half apart, killing 2 people and injuring a further 100.
The city of Kashan in Iran was struck by a major earthquake just before dawn on 15 December 1778. The earthquake had an estimated magnitude of 6.2 Ms. There was widespread damage in the area around the city, with most buildings destroyed. More than 8,000 people were killed.
The 1980 Nepal earthquake devastated the Nepal–India border region on the evening of July 29. The epicenter of the 6.6 Mw earthquake was located in Nepal, northwest of Khaptad National Park. At least 200 people died and 5,600 were injured in the disaster. Extensive damage occurred on both sides of the border, amounting to 245 million USD.
The 1997 Bojnurd earthquake occurred on 4 February at 14:07 IRST in Iran. The epicenter of the Mw 6.5 earthquake was in the Kopet Dag mountains of North Khorasan, near the Iran–Turkmenistan border, about 579 km (360 mi) northeast of Tehran. The earthquake is characterized by shallow strike-slip faulting in a zone of active faults. Seismic activity is present as the Kopet Dag is actively accommodating tectonics through faulting. The earthquake left 88 dead, 1,948 injured, and affected 173 villages, including four which were destroyed. Damage also occurred in Shirvan and Bojnord counties. The total cost of damage was estimated to be over US$ 30 million.
The 1641 Tabriz earthquake occurred on the night of February 5 in present-day East Azerbaijan province, Iran. The earthquake had an estimated surface-wave magnitude of 6.8 and an epicenter between Lake Urmia and the city of Tabriz. It was one of the most destructive earthquakes in the region, resulting in the loss of up to 30,000 lives.
The 1977 Bob–Tangol earthquake struck Kerman province of Iran on December 19 at 23:34 GMT. The earthquake destroyed homes and left thousands homeless. A maximum Modified Mercalli intensity of VII was evaluated based on damage. Between 584 and 665 people perished while a further 500–1,000 were injured. Casualties from the earthquake was considered moderate due to the sparsely populated area it affected. The earthquake measured Mw 5.9 and struck at a depth of 22.7 km (14.1 mi). It had a strike-slip focal mechanism, which was unusual as the source structure was a thrust fault. It was part of a sequence of strong earthquakes along the 400 km (250 mi) Kuh Banan Fault. Preceded by foreshocks the month before, many residents became wary of a larger earthquake and took refuge outside their homes, contributing to the moderate death toll. However, there were none immediately before the mainshock so many were still in their homes when it struck. Aftershocks were felt for several months, some causing additional damage.
The 1977 Naghan earthquake struck Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province in Iran on April 6 at 13:36 UTC. The earthquake measuring 6.0 Mw occurred at a depth of 15 km (9.3 mi) and had a maximum Modified Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). More than 2,100 homes were destroyed and at least 348 people were killed.
The 1977 Khurgu earthquake struck southern Iran near Bandar Abbas in Hormozgan province on the morning of March 22. The earthquake measuring moment magnitude (Mw ) 6.7 struck at a depth of 12.5 km (7.8 mi). Thirty five villages were heavily damaged including over 20 which were destroyed. There were 152–167 people killed and 556 injured.
The 1957 Sangchal earthquake struck northern Iran's Mazandaran province on 2 July 1957. It had a moment magnitude of 6.6 or 7.1 (Mw ), focal depth of 15 km (9.3 mi), and maximum Modified Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). It devastated many communities in the Alborz Mountains and caused an estimated 1,500 fatalities. Damage was estimated at US$ 25 milion.
The 1957 Farsinaj earthquake struck Hamadan, Iran on 13 December at 05:15 local time. The moment magnitude 6.5 earthquake destroyed 211 villages, killed approximately 1,130 people, and left another 900 injured.