2005 Iran earthquake
Encyclopedia
The 2005 Qeshm earthquake was a powerful earthquake
that occurred on November 27, 2005, at 13:52 local time (10:22 UTC) just west of a sparsely populated area of Qeshm Island
off of Southern Iran. The earthquake was the second powerful one in Iran that occurred in 2005, following the Zarand earthquake
in February. It killed 13 people and devastated 13 villages. The epicenter
was about 1500 kilometres (932.1 mi) south of Tehran
in the Persian Gulf
, close to the southern reaches of Iran
, and measurements showed that the earthquake was about 6.0 on the moment magnitude scale
. Over 400 minor aftershock
s followed the main quake, 36 of which were greater than magnitude 2.5.
Because the earthquake occurred in a remote area during the middle of the day, it did not not cause many fatalities. Iranian relief efforts in the aftermath were effective and largely sufficient, leading Iran to decline offers of support from other nations and UNICEF.
Qeshm Island is an extension of the Zagros seismic area, sharing many characteristics with the highly active region, and is cut by at least two faults. The earthquake was a result of reverse slip faulting (which shortens and thickens the crust), and it created cracks in the nearby Ramkan syncline
(a type of fold in the land). As it lies in such a seismically active area, Iran is at a high risk from destructive earthquakes. With 1 in 3,000 deaths in Iran attributable to earthquakes, one geophysicist has suggested that a country-wide rebuilding program will be needed to address the ongoing public safety concerns.
has identified more than 80 earthquakes stronger than magnitude 5 in the last 100 years, with large earthquakes recorded in 1360, 1703, 1884, 1897, 1902, and 1905. The majority of Iranian quakes occur in the upper crust, close to the surface.
Iran's Zagros mountains form part of the Alpine-Himalayan belt
, where north-south-trending convergence between the Arabian and Eurasian
tectonic plates
takes place at a rate of up to 25 millimetre (0.984251968503937 in) annually. Earthquakes in this region are predominately a result of reverse faulting, which creates folds
like syncline
s and anticlines. The area is known for surface faulting
(visible fracture in the surface rock) as a result of tension along deep "buried" faults, rather than major zones like those in the region. Qeshm is very similar to the mainland and Zagros in geological structure, the only major difference being that its faults trend from northeast-southwest and northwest-southeast rather than north-south. The faults on Qeshm Island converge to create a complex structure in the center of the island, where much of the tension in the 2005 Qeshm earthquake was observed. Along one of these northwest-southeast trending faults were the most concentrated levels of shear and dilatancy (volume change associated with application of shear stress) observed; shear and dilation were also recorded in the fault vicinity. Uplift
around Qeshm has been going on throughout the Quaternary
, and has created terraces of reef and beach atop Neogene
-aged sediment
.
The 2005 Qeshm earthquake measured 6.0 on the Moment magnitude scale
, and was the second noteworthy Iranian earthquake of the year, preceded by the 2005 Zarand earthquake
on February 22. The earthquake's epicenter was offshore in the Persian Gulf
44 kilometres (27 mi) west of Qeshm, close to the northern margin of the Arabian tectonic plate
and near the front of the 'Simply Folded Belt', the most seismically active part of the Zagros fold and thrust belt
. The focal mechanism
(which describes the orientation of the fault that slipped and its movement direction) of this earthquake suggests it was a result of thrust
ing (where older rock is pushed over younger rock). This faulting has been confirmed as reverse slip (faulting which shortens and thickens the crust). The total displacement for the region was between 4 metres (13 ft) and 8 metres (26 ft), and uplift of anticline
s was as much as 20 centimetres (8 in) in some places. The earthquake probably interrupted sedimentation
, and may have created a discontinuity (fracture) in the rock closer to the surface.
If the earthquake had occurred during the morning while residents were asleep, rather than mid-afternoon (1:53 pm), it could have been deadlier. This is mainly because housing in the epicentral area consisted chiefly of mud and brick.
After the earthquake, a set of cracks appeared in a "limb" of the Ramkan syncline. The cracks suggested fracture of soil and were minor, but extended for approximately 3 kilometres (2 mi). Though they were parallel to the fracture in the Ramkan syncline's main body, the cracks were oblique to the fault thought responsible for the cracks and thus suggest that something also slipped in the syncline itself. Another short fracture was observed, but may be correlated with salt settling rather than faulting.
, and in Abu Zabi, Ajman
, Dubayy, al-Fujayrah and Ras al Khaymah; Intensity IV damage (moderate) occurred at Sharjah. The earthquake was reported in Oman
. No major damage occurred at the epicenter; residents of the city did report that the shaking burst windows, leading citizens to evacuate their homes in fear of collapse. In total more than 2,000 people were affected.
One major hospital crowded with the injured and lacking medical supplies for treatment and an airport on the epicentral island sustained damage, and power lines on the island were severed. Buildings in Dubai
, including the Emirates Towers
, were evacuated because of concerns they might collapse, but no such incidents occurred. The director of Tehran
's seismological building dismissed fears of a tsunami, saying that the Persian Gulf was not "deep enough" to create one. In one school, some suffered broken legs when the building collapsed, but no fatalities occurred. One woman described the locals as "panicked". Television stations throughout Iran released footage of quake damage and of injured residents being taken to hospitals.
A damaging landslide
and 36 major aftershock
s of more than magnitude 2.5 (in total, 400 aftershocks) followed the earthquake. Damage at the eastern wall of an old Portuguese fortress eventually destroyed it. A Portuguese admiral stationed in Qeshm had ordered the fortress to be constructed in 1507.
, and 1133 kilograms (2,497.8 lb) of tea were distributed by the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS). 4,696 sets of relief tents, 5,677 sets of moquette
s, 10,689 sets of blankets, 2,169 kitchen sets, 1,477 ovens, 1,250 sets of lanterns and 4,001 cartons of hygienic kits were also given out by the organization. A dispatch of 101 relief helpers, 40 of the staff of the IRCS, and 4 people from the public relations department at ReliefWeb also assisted survivors. To help provide a structure to reliving efforts, 3 ambulances, 46 trucks, 3 helicopters, 12 vans, 9 cars and 2 minibuses and 2 sniffer dog
s were also dispatched to help citizens of quake-struck areas.
Injured residents were evacuated via a helicopter, and were later transported to nearby Bandar Abbas. An Iranian police official, citing concerns about possible looting
, said all movement of damaged houses would require prior approval from the governor's office, the police, and the Unexpected Events Committee on the island. UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) offered assistance to Iran, and the official in charge of response stated, "We are preparing to respond if needed". They elaborated that Iranian authorities "appeared to have things under control".
. Professor Roger Bilham of the University of Colorado at Boulder
, a geophysicist who specializes in earthquake-related deformation and hazards, blames construction practices for deaths in Iranian earthquakes. Since the start of the 20th century, 1 in 3,000 Iranians has died in an earthquake-related incident. Bilham argues that "Most of Iran needs rebuilding. If the population of Iran had a choice between spending oil revenues on munitions or houses that won't kill them, I suspect they would choose a safe home. It's all a matter of earthquake education." The United Nations has prepared a Common Country Assessment for Iran, which likewise states that "While adequate building regulations exist for large cities, it is generally believed that they are not rigorously adhered to ... most of those who have suffered in recent major earthquakes have lived in small towns and villages. Earthquake-proof construction is very rare in those areas and adequate building regulations are not yet in place".
The earthquakes of Iran are of significant concern to the populace, and an impediment to economic development. Twelve earthquakes with a magnitude of over seven have occurred within the last century. Three-quarters of Iran's major cities are in areas prone to major earthquakes. The 1990 Manjil-Rudbar earthquake
, with at least 42,000 fatalities, cost Iran roughly 7.2 percent of its Gross National Product (GNP) for that year, and wiped out two years of economic growth.
In 2007, the Asian Centre on Seismic Risk Reduction was formed in response to the regular earthquakes experienced by the southern, southwestern, and central Asian areas. This organization exists to "encourage regional and inter-regional networking and partnerships to reduce seismic damage". Earthquakes account for 73 percent of natural disaster deaths in the area.
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
that occurred on November 27, 2005, at 13:52 local time (10:22 UTC) just west of a sparsely populated area of Qeshm Island
Qeshm
Qeshm Qeshm Qeshm (Persian: قشم - pronounced kē´shm is an Iranian island situated in the Strait of Hormuz, and separated from the mainland by the Clarence Strait/Khuran in the Persian Gulf .-Geography:...
off of Southern Iran. The earthquake was the second powerful one in Iran that occurred in 2005, following the Zarand earthquake
2005 Zarand earthquake
2005 Zarand earthquake hit the city of Zarand and several villages in Kerman province of Iran on February 22, 2005. The earthquake happened at 5:55 local time and was measured at 6.4 on the Richter scale. The quake lasted for 11 seconds and at least 61 aftershocks were reported ranging in...
in February. It killed 13 people and devastated 13 villages. The epicenter
Epicenter
The epicenter or epicentre is the point on the Earth's surface that is directly above the hypocenter or focus, the point where an earthquake or underground explosion originates...
was about 1500 kilometres (932.1 mi) south of Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
in the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
, close to the southern reaches of Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, and measurements showed that the earthquake was about 6.0 on the moment magnitude scale
Moment magnitude scale
The moment magnitude scale is used by seismologists to measure the size of earthquakes in terms of the energy released. The magnitude is based on the seismic moment of the earthquake, which is equal to the rigidity of the Earth multiplied by the average amount of slip on the fault and the size of...
. Over 400 minor aftershock
Aftershock
An aftershock is a smaller earthquake that occurs after a previous large earthquake, in the same area of the main shock. If an aftershock is larger than the main shock, the aftershock is redesignated as the main shock and the original main shock is redesignated as a foreshock...
s followed the main quake, 36 of which were greater than magnitude 2.5.
Because the earthquake occurred in a remote area during the middle of the day, it did not not cause many fatalities. Iranian relief efforts in the aftermath were effective and largely sufficient, leading Iran to decline offers of support from other nations and UNICEF.
Qeshm Island is an extension of the Zagros seismic area, sharing many characteristics with the highly active region, and is cut by at least two faults. The earthquake was a result of reverse slip faulting (which shortens and thickens the crust), and it created cracks in the nearby Ramkan syncline
Syncline
In structural geology, a syncline is a fold, with younger layers closer to the center of the structure. A synclinorium is a large syncline with superimposed smaller folds. Synclines are typically a downward fold, termed a synformal syncline In structural geology, a syncline is a fold, with younger...
(a type of fold in the land). As it lies in such a seismically active area, Iran is at a high risk from destructive earthquakes. With 1 in 3,000 deaths in Iran attributable to earthquakes, one geophysicist has suggested that a country-wide rebuilding program will be needed to address the ongoing public safety concerns.
Background
Iran experiences at least one minor earthquake per day on average, and this particular region is prone to earthquakes. Seismic analysisSeismic analysis
Seismic Analysis is a subset of structural analysis and is the calculation of the response of a building structure to earthquakes...
has identified more than 80 earthquakes stronger than magnitude 5 in the last 100 years, with large earthquakes recorded in 1360, 1703, 1884, 1897, 1902, and 1905. The majority of Iranian quakes occur in the upper crust, close to the surface.
Geology
Alpide belt
The Alpide belt is a mountain range which extends along the southern margin of Eurasia. Stretching from Java to Sumatra through the Himalayas, the Mediterranean, and out into the Atlantic, it includes the Alps, the Carpathians, the mountains of Asia Minor and Iran, the Hindu Kush, the Himalayas,...
, where north-south-trending convergence between the Arabian and Eurasian
Eurasian Plate
The Eurasian Plate is a tectonic plate which includes most of the continent of Eurasia , with the notable exceptions of the Indian subcontinent, the Arabian subcontinent, and the area east of the Chersky Range in East Siberia...
tectonic plates
Plate tectonics
Plate tectonics is a scientific theory that describes the large scale motions of Earth's lithosphere...
takes place at a rate of up to 25 millimetre (0.984251968503937 in) annually. Earthquakes in this region are predominately a result of reverse faulting, which creates folds
Fold (geology)
The term fold is used in geology when one or a stack of originally flat and planar surfaces, such as sedimentary strata, are bent or curved as a result of permanent deformation. Synsedimentary folds are those due to slumping of sedimentary material before it is lithified. Folds in rocks vary in...
like syncline
Syncline
In structural geology, a syncline is a fold, with younger layers closer to the center of the structure. A synclinorium is a large syncline with superimposed smaller folds. Synclines are typically a downward fold, termed a synformal syncline In structural geology, a syncline is a fold, with younger...
s and anticlines. The area is known for surface faulting
Fault scarp
A fault scarp is the topographic expression of faulting attributed to the displacement of the land surface by movement along faults. They are exhibited either by differential movement and subsequent erosion along an old inactive geologic fault , or by a movement on a recent active fault...
(visible fracture in the surface rock) as a result of tension along deep "buried" faults, rather than major zones like those in the region. Qeshm is very similar to the mainland and Zagros in geological structure, the only major difference being that its faults trend from northeast-southwest and northwest-southeast rather than north-south. The faults on Qeshm Island converge to create a complex structure in the center of the island, where much of the tension in the 2005 Qeshm earthquake was observed. Along one of these northwest-southeast trending faults were the most concentrated levels of shear and dilatancy (volume change associated with application of shear stress) observed; shear and dilation were also recorded in the fault vicinity. Uplift
Tectonic uplift
Tectonic uplift is a geological process most often caused by plate tectonics which increases elevation. The opposite of uplift is subsidence, which results in a decrease in elevation. Uplift may be orogenic or isostatic.-Orogenic uplift:...
around Qeshm has been going on throughout the Quaternary
Quaternary
The Quaternary Period is the most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the ICS. It follows the Neogene Period, spanning 2.588 ± 0.005 million years ago to the present...
, and has created terraces of reef and beach atop Neogene
Neogene
The Neogene is a geologic period and system in the International Commission on Stratigraphy Geologic Timescale starting 23.03 ± 0.05 million years ago and ending 2.588 million years ago...
-aged sediment
Sediment
Sediment is naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of fluids such as wind, water, or ice, and/or by the force of gravity acting on the particle itself....
.
The 2005 Qeshm earthquake measured 6.0 on the Moment magnitude scale
Moment magnitude scale
The moment magnitude scale is used by seismologists to measure the size of earthquakes in terms of the energy released. The magnitude is based on the seismic moment of the earthquake, which is equal to the rigidity of the Earth multiplied by the average amount of slip on the fault and the size of...
, and was the second noteworthy Iranian earthquake of the year, preceded by the 2005 Zarand earthquake
2005 Zarand earthquake
2005 Zarand earthquake hit the city of Zarand and several villages in Kerman province of Iran on February 22, 2005. The earthquake happened at 5:55 local time and was measured at 6.4 on the Richter scale. The quake lasted for 11 seconds and at least 61 aftershocks were reported ranging in...
on February 22. The earthquake's epicenter was offshore in the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
44 kilometres (27 mi) west of Qeshm, close to the northern margin of the Arabian tectonic plate
Arabian Plate
The Arabian Plate is one of three tectonic plates which have been moving northward over millions of years and colliding with the Eurasian Plate...
and near the front of the 'Simply Folded Belt', the most seismically active part of the Zagros fold and thrust belt
Zagros fold and thrust belt
The Zagros fold and thrust belt is a ~1800 km long zone of deformed crustal rocks, formed in the foreland of the collision between the Arabian Plate and the Eurasian Plate...
. The focal mechanism
Focal mechanism
The focal mechanism of an earthquake describes the inelastic deformation in the source region that generates the seismic waves. In the case of a fault-related event it refers to the orientation of the fault plane that slipped and the slip vector and is also known as a fault-plane solution...
(which describes the orientation of the fault that slipped and its movement direction) of this earthquake suggests it was a result of thrust
Thrust fault
A thrust fault is a type of fault, or break in the Earth's crust across which there has been relative movement, in which rocks of lower stratigraphic position are pushed up and over higher strata. They are often recognized because they place older rocks above younger...
ing (where older rock is pushed over younger rock). This faulting has been confirmed as reverse slip (faulting which shortens and thickens the crust). The total displacement for the region was between 4 metres (13 ft) and 8 metres (26 ft), and uplift of anticline
Anticline
In structural geology, an anticline is a fold that is convex up and has its oldest beds at its core. The term is not to be confused with antiform, which is a purely descriptive term for any fold that is convex up. Therefore if age relationships In structural geology, an anticline is a fold that is...
s was as much as 20 centimetres (8 in) in some places. The earthquake probably interrupted sedimentation
Sedimentation
Sedimentation is the tendency for particles in suspension to settle out of the fluid in which they are entrained, and come to rest against a barrier. This is due to their motion through the fluid in response to the forces acting on them: these forces can be due to gravity, centrifugal acceleration...
, and may have created a discontinuity (fracture) in the rock closer to the surface.
If the earthquake had occurred during the morning while residents were asleep, rather than mid-afternoon (1:53 pm), it could have been deadlier. This is mainly because housing in the epicentral area consisted chiefly of mud and brick.
After the earthquake, a set of cracks appeared in a "limb" of the Ramkan syncline. The cracks suggested fracture of soil and were minor, but extended for approximately 3 kilometres (2 mi). Though they were parallel to the fracture in the Ramkan syncline's main body, the cracks were oblique to the fault thought responsible for the cracks and thus suggest that something also slipped in the syncline itself. Another short fracture was observed, but may be correlated with salt settling rather than faulting.
Damage and casualties
Lasting between 10 and 30 seconds, the earthquake hit at 13:52:19 local time, or 1:52 pm (10:22:19 UTC). It killed 13 people and injured 100 locals on Qeshm Island. In Zirang, a nearby village on Qeshm, 80 percent of the buildings were demolished. Thirteen villages were destroyed including Tonban, Ramekan, Gavarzin, Khaledin, Direstan, Kushe, Karavan, Turyan, Tom senati, Gorbehdan, Ziranag, Giahdan, and Gourian, seven other villages experiencing extensive damage.Mercalli scale Intensity III damage was reported in Bandar AbbasBandar Abbas
Bandar-Abbas or Bandar-e ‘Abbās , also Romanized as Bandar ‘Abbās, Bandar ‘Abbāsī, and Bandar-e ‘Abbās; formerly known as Cambarão and Port Comorão to Portuguese traders, as Gombroon to English traders and as Gamrun or Gumrun to Dutch merchants) is a port city and capital of Hormozgān Province on...
, and in Abu Zabi, Ajman
Ajman
Ajman , also spelt Ujman, is one of the seven emirates constituting the United Arab Emirates . With an area of just 260 square kilometres , Ajman is the smallest emirate by area...
, Dubayy, al-Fujayrah and Ras al Khaymah; Intensity IV damage (moderate) occurred at Sharjah. The earthquake was reported in Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
. No major damage occurred at the epicenter; residents of the city did report that the shaking burst windows, leading citizens to evacuate their homes in fear of collapse. In total more than 2,000 people were affected.
One major hospital crowded with the injured and lacking medical supplies for treatment and an airport on the epicentral island sustained damage, and power lines on the island were severed. Buildings in Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
, including the Emirates Towers
Emirates Towers
The Emirates Towers complex contains the Emirates Office Tower and Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel. The two towers, which rise to and , respectively, stand as the 12th- and 29th-tallest buildings in the world. The two towers are connected by a 9,000 m² two-storey retail complex known as "The...
, were evacuated because of concerns they might collapse, but no such incidents occurred. The director of Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
's seismological building dismissed fears of a tsunami, saying that the Persian Gulf was not "deep enough" to create one. In one school, some suffered broken legs when the building collapsed, but no fatalities occurred. One woman described the locals as "panicked". Television stations throughout Iran released footage of quake damage and of injured residents being taken to hospitals.
A damaging landslide
Landslide
A landslide or landslip is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement, such as rockfalls, deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows, which can occur in offshore, coastal and onshore environments...
and 36 major aftershock
Aftershock
An aftershock is a smaller earthquake that occurs after a previous large earthquake, in the same area of the main shock. If an aftershock is larger than the main shock, the aftershock is redesignated as the main shock and the original main shock is redesignated as a foreshock...
s of more than magnitude 2.5 (in total, 400 aftershocks) followed the earthquake. Damage at the eastern wall of an old Portuguese fortress eventually destroyed it. A Portuguese admiral stationed in Qeshm had ordered the fortress to be constructed in 1507.
Relief efforts
Aid workers from the domestic region began delivering supplies such as food, blankets, and tents. Around 74,151 tins of tuna fish, 40920 kilograms (90,213.2 lb) of rice, 46,700 tins of canned beans, 10445 kilograms (23,027.3 lb) of sugar, 16836 kilograms (37,117 lb) of edible oil, 5986 kilograms (13,196.9 lb) of pulsePulse (legume)
A pulse is an annual leguminous crop yielding from one to twelve seeds of variable size, shape, and color within a pod. Pulses are used for food and animal feed. The term "pulse", as used by the Food and Agricultural Organization , is reserved for crops harvested solely for the dry seed...
, and 1133 kilograms (2,497.8 lb) of tea were distributed by the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS). 4,696 sets of relief tents, 5,677 sets of moquette
Moquette
Moquette is type of fabric with a thick, dense pile. It is a particularly versatile and hard-wearing material, predominantly wool with a small percentage of polyester. Moquette is renowned for its attractive, hard-wearing, durable, and fire-resistant qualities, hence it is commonly used for...
s, 10,689 sets of blankets, 2,169 kitchen sets, 1,477 ovens, 1,250 sets of lanterns and 4,001 cartons of hygienic kits were also given out by the organization. A dispatch of 101 relief helpers, 40 of the staff of the IRCS, and 4 people from the public relations department at ReliefWeb also assisted survivors. To help provide a structure to reliving efforts, 3 ambulances, 46 trucks, 3 helicopters, 12 vans, 9 cars and 2 minibuses and 2 sniffer dog
Detection dog
A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to and works at using its senses to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, or blood. Hunting dogs that search for game and search dogs that search for missing humans are generally not considered detection dogs...
s were also dispatched to help citizens of quake-struck areas.
Injured residents were evacuated via a helicopter, and were later transported to nearby Bandar Abbas. An Iranian police official, citing concerns about possible looting
Looting
Looting —also referred to as sacking, plundering, despoiling, despoliation, and pillaging—is the indiscriminate taking of goods by force as part of a military or political victory, or during a catastrophe, such as during war, natural disaster, or rioting...
, said all movement of damaged houses would require prior approval from the governor's office, the police, and the Unexpected Events Committee on the island. UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) offered assistance to Iran, and the official in charge of response stated, "We are preparing to respond if needed". They elaborated that Iranian authorities "appeared to have things under control".
Future threat
Iran was listed as "the worst offender" in a 2004 report on countries with poor earthquake engineeringEarthquake engineering
Earthquake engineering is the scientific field concerned with protecting society, the natural and the man-made environment from earthquakes by limiting the seismic risk to socio-economically acceptable levels...
. Professor Roger Bilham of the University of Colorado at Boulder
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
, a geophysicist who specializes in earthquake-related deformation and hazards, blames construction practices for deaths in Iranian earthquakes. Since the start of the 20th century, 1 in 3,000 Iranians has died in an earthquake-related incident. Bilham argues that "Most of Iran needs rebuilding. If the population of Iran had a choice between spending oil revenues on munitions or houses that won't kill them, I suspect they would choose a safe home. It's all a matter of earthquake education." The United Nations has prepared a Common Country Assessment for Iran, which likewise states that "While adequate building regulations exist for large cities, it is generally believed that they are not rigorously adhered to ... most of those who have suffered in recent major earthquakes have lived in small towns and villages. Earthquake-proof construction is very rare in those areas and adequate building regulations are not yet in place".
The earthquakes of Iran are of significant concern to the populace, and an impediment to economic development. Twelve earthquakes with a magnitude of over seven have occurred within the last century. Three-quarters of Iran's major cities are in areas prone to major earthquakes. The 1990 Manjil-Rudbar earthquake
1990 Manjil-Rudbar earthquake
The Manjil-Rudbar Earthquake occurred at 00:30:09 on June 21, 1990 . It caused widespread damage in areas within a one hundred kilometer radius of the epicenter near the city of Rasht and about two hundred kilometers northwest of Tehran. The cities of Rudbar, Manjil, and Lushan and 700 villages...
, with at least 42,000 fatalities, cost Iran roughly 7.2 percent of its Gross National Product (GNP) for that year, and wiped out two years of economic growth.
In 2007, the Asian Centre on Seismic Risk Reduction was formed in response to the regular earthquakes experienced by the southern, southwestern, and central Asian areas. This organization exists to "encourage regional and inter-regional networking and partnerships to reduce seismic damage". Earthquakes account for 73 percent of natural disaster deaths in the area.
See also
- 2005 Zarand earthquake2005 Zarand earthquake2005 Zarand earthquake hit the city of Zarand and several villages in Kerman province of Iran on February 22, 2005. The earthquake happened at 5:55 local time and was measured at 6.4 on the Richter scale. The quake lasted for 11 seconds and at least 61 aftershocks were reported ranging in...
- List of earthquakes in Iran