2022–2023 West Azerbaijan earthquakes

Starting on 21 September 2022,[3] and progressing into 2023, an earthquake swarm occurred in the Iranian province of West Azerbaijan, close to the city of Khoy near the Turkish border. Due to mainly three events, a total of 3,880 buildings were destroyed and 52,301 others were damaged in Khoy, including nearly 1,000 schools. Three people died and over 3,310 others were injured, almost all of them due to panic and only a few from collapsed houses.[4][5]

2022–2023 West Azerbaijan earthquakes
2022–2023 West Azerbaijan earthquakes is located in Iran
2022–2023 West Azerbaijan earthquakes
UTC time2022-10-05 00:21:29
 2023-01-18 10:08:12
 2023-01-28 18:14:44
ISC event624850002
USGS-ANSSComCat
 ComCat
 ComCat
Local date5 October 2022 (2022-10-05)
 18 January 2023 (2023-01-18)
 28 January 2023 (2023-01-28)
Local time03:51 (UTC+3:30)
 13:38 (UTC+3:30)
 21:44 (UTC+3:30)
Magnitude5.6 Mw
 5.7 Mw
 5.9 Mw
Depth15 km (9.3 mi)
17 km (11 mi)
10 km (6.2 mi)
Epicenter38°30′40″N 45°02′17″E / 38.511°N 45.038°E / 38.511; 45.038
TypeOblique-reverse[1]
Areas affectedIran
Max. intensityMMI VIII (Severe)[2]
Casualties3 dead, 3,314 injured[note 1]

Tectonic setting edit

Iran lies within the complicated zone of continental collision between the Arabian and Eurasian Plates, which extends from the Zagros fold and thrust belt in the south to the Caucasus mountains and the Kopet Dag mountains to the north.[6] In northwestern Iran, the Arabian Plate is moving at about 20 mm per year relative to the Eurasian Plate. Deformation near the city of Tabriz is dominated by the North Tabriz Fault, a WNW-ESE trending right-lateral strike-slip fault, which has been responsible for seven major earthquakes of magnitude 6 or higher since 858 AD.[7] Other known active faults include a W-E trending fault between the cities of Ahar and Heris.[8] This same setting was responsible for a magnitude 6.4 earthquake in August 2012, killing at least 38 and injuring more than 3,200, 268 of which died later in hospitals.[9][10] In February 2020, two earthquakes caused ten deaths and many injuries in both countries.

Earthquake sequence edit

The earthquakes occurred near the city of Khoy, and started with a magnitude 5.1 foreshock on September 21.[3] On 5 October, a magnitude 5.6 earthquake hit about 8 km (5.0 mi) southeast of Khoy, at a depth of 15 km.[1] On 18 January 2023, a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck about 4 km to the southwest.[11] Ten days later, an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.9, struck 2 km to the southwest.[12] The mainshock was also felt in Turkey,[13] Azerbaijan,[14] and Armenia.[15] A magnitude 5.2 aftershock struck on 16 March,[16] followed by a magnitude 5.6 event on 24 March.[2]

Impact edit

2022 event edit

At least 1,127 people were injured, of whom 135 required treatment.[4][17] Over 1,100 houses were destroyed and around 10,000 others were damaged in Khoy.[18][19] However, only one injury was caused by falling debris.[4] In total, two provinces, two cites and 53 villages were affected by the earthquake.[4]

2023 events edit

January 18 edit

An additional 252 people received panic-induced injuries.[5] At least 4,420 houses were damaged, of which 570 collapsed or were uninhabitable,[20][21] and 3,850 others received minor to moderate damage.[22]

January 28 edit

Damage more severe than the previous two events occurred, as well as some power outages.[23] The earthquake killed three people.[24] An additional 1,750 were injured,[25] including at least seven in Salmas and three in Chaypareh.[26][27][28][29] Between 20 and 50 percent of houses in 70 villages near the epicentre, as well as over 2,120 others in Khoy collapsed,[30][31] while 7,500 houses received moderate damage and 30,000 others with slight damage.[32][33][34] At least 88 schools were also destroyed and 873 others were damaged.[35]

March 16 edit

Some houses were slightly damaged and 20 people were injured.[36]

March 24 edit

At least 165 people were injured, two houses collapsed, while 78 others were damaged in ten villages near the epicenter and in Khoy and Salmas.[37] Landslides blocked some roads and power outages occurred in two villages.[38][39]

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ 1,127 injured in the 5 October 2022 event, 252 injured in the 18 January event, three killed and 1,750 injured in the 28 January event, and 185 injured by two events in March.

References edit

  1. ^ a b "M 5.6 - 8 km ESE of Khowy, Iran". United States Geological Survey. 2022-10-05. Retrieved 2022-10-05.
  2. ^ a b National Earthquake Information Center (2023-03-22). "M 5.6 - 13 km SW of Khowy, Iran". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2023-03-24.
  3. ^ a b "M 5.1 - Turkey-Iran border region". earthquake.usgs.gov.
  4. ^ a b c d "Iran: Earthquake - Oct 2022". ReliefWeb. 2022-10-19.
  5. ^ a b "به ۱۳ هزار و ۵۶۰ نفر در زلزله خوی امدادرسانی شد" (in Persian). Moj News Agency. 2023-01-20.
  6. ^ Talebian, M.; Jackson J. (2004). "A reappraisal of earthquake focal mechanisms and active shortening in the Zagros mountains of Iran". Geophysical Journal International. 156 (3): 506–526. Bibcode:2004GeoJI.156..506T. doi:10.1111/j.1365-246X.2004.02092.x.
  7. ^ Moradi, A.S.; Hatzfeld D. & Tatar M. (2011). "Microseismicity and seismotectonics of the North Tabriz fault (Iran)". Tectonophysics. 506 (1–4): 22–30. Bibcode:2011Tectp.506...22S. doi:10.1016/j.tecto.2011.04.008.
  8. ^ Hoseinpour, M.; Zare M. (2009). "Seismic Hazard Assessment of Tabriz, a City in the Northwest of Iran" (PDF). Science Information Database. Retrieved 2022-10-06.
  9. ^ "M 6.4 – 26 km SW of Ahar, Iran". 2012-08-11. Retrieved 2021-08-01.
  10. ^ Torbati, Yeganeh (2012-08-12). "Two earthquakes in Iran kill 250 and injure 2,000". Reuters. Dubai. Retrieved 2012-08-12.
  11. ^ National Earthquake Information Center (2023-01-18). "M 5.7 - Turkey-Iran border region". United States Geological Survey.
  12. ^ National Earthquake Information Center (2023-01-28). "M 5.9 - 14 km SSW of Khowy, Iran". United States Geological Survey.
  13. ^ Gündem (2023-01-28). "İran'da korkutan deprem! Türkiye'den de hissedildi… (Son depremler)" (in Turkish). Sözcü.
  14. ^ "Naxçıvanda zəlzələ olub" (in Azerbaijani). AZERTAG. 2023-01-28.
  15. ^ "Երկրաշարժ Իրանում. Երեւանում այն զգացվել է 3-4 բալ, Սյունիքում' 5 բալ ուժգնությամբ" (in Armenian). News.am. 2023-01-28.
  16. ^ National Earthquake Information Center (2023-03-16). "M 5.2 - Northwestern Iran". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  17. ^ "Over 500 injured in Iran quake". Malaysia Now. Agence France-Presse. 2022-10-05. Retrieved 2022-10-05.
  18. ^ "آسیب به 11 هزار خانه در زمین لرزه شهرستان خوی / مردم نیازمند وسایل گرمایشی هستند". shoraha.org.ir (in Persian). 2022-10-10.
  19. ^ "تخریب کامل ۵۰ واحد روستایی بر اثر زلزله خوی / آب و برق در همه مناطق وصل است". Islamic Republic News Agency (in Persian). 2022-10-05. Retrieved 2022-10-05.
  20. ^ "زلزله ۵.۴ ریشتری در خوی/ مصدومیت ۱۲۰ تن تاکنون، خسارت به ۲۰۰ خانه و ادامه ارزیابی‌ها" (in Persian). 2023-01-18.
  21. ^ "چند خانه در زلزله خوی آسیب دیده است؟" (in Persian). Shargh. 2023-01-26.
  22. ^ "پایان عملیات امداد و نجات و ارزیابی زلزله زده خوی" (in Persian). Young Journalists Club. January 2023.
  23. ^ "Strong earthquake strikes Turkey-Iran border". Yahoo! News. 2023-01-28.
  24. ^ "خوی، کانون زلزله های پنج ریشتری" [Khoi, the epicenter of five magnitude earthquakes]. Islamic Republic News Agency (in Persian). 2023-01-29.
  25. ^ "استاندار آذربایجان غربی: ۲۱ اردوگاه برای زلزله زدگان در خوی ایجاد شده است". Islamic Republic News Agency (in Persian). 2023-01-29.
  26. ^ "زلزله ۵.9 ریشتری خوی را لرزاند/ گزارش تخریب منازل در شهر فیرورق کانون زلزله/ ۵۸۰ مصدوم و 2 فوتی تا این لحظه". Fars News Agency (in Persian). 2023-01-29.
  27. ^ "Three dead and 447 injured in the northwest Iran earthquake" [«سه کشته و ۴۴۷ زخمی» در زلزله شمال غربی ایران] (in Persian). BBC News. 2023-01-29. Retrieved 2023-01-29.
  28. ^ "آخرین اخبار از زلزله خوی در آذربایجان غربی | ۴۴۰ مصدوم و ۷ فوتی تا این لحظه (۸ بهمن ۱۴۰۱) + فیلم و عکس" [The latest news about the Khoi earthquake in West Azerbaijan 440 injured and 7 feet so far (8 February 1401) + video and photos] (in Persian). Shahrara News. 2023-01-29. Retrieved 2023-01-29.
  29. ^ "ببینید | آمار جدید مصدومان زلزله خوی | بیشترین مصدوم از اهالی خوی هستند". Hamshahri (in Persian). 2023-01-29.
  30. ^ "نوسازی واحدهای زلزله زده خوی تا پایان خرداد ۱۴۰۲". iribnews.ir (in Persian). Retrieved 2023-04-30.
  31. ^ "۹۲۵۰ واحد مسکونی در زلزله خوی خسارت دیدند". Young Journalists Club (in Persian). 2023-01-30.
  32. ^ "بیش از ۱۶ هزار واحد آسیب دیده در زلزله خوی نیاز به مقاوم سازی دارند/ دانشجویان غیر بومی دانشگاه خوی تعیین تکلیفشناسایی ۳۰ هزار واحد مسکونی آسیب دیده در خوی برای بازسازی". qudsonline.ir (in Persian). Retrieved 2023-04-30.
  33. ^ "بیش از ۱۶ هزار واحد آسیب دیده در زلزله خوی نیاز به مقاوم سازی دارند/ دانشجویان غیر بومی دانشگاه خوی تعیین تکلیف شوند". ilna.ir (in Persian). 2023-01-29.
  34. ^ "آخرین اخبار از زلزله ۵.9 ریشتری خوی؛ 3 کشته و ۸۱۶ مصدوم/ آسیب ۲۰ تا ۵۰ درصدی به منازل ۷۰ روستا" [The latest news about the 5.9-magnitude Khoi earthquake; 3 dead and 816 injured/ 20 to 50% damage to houses in 70 villages] (in Persian). Fars News Agency. 2023-01-29. Retrieved 2023-01-29.
  35. ^ "معاون وزیر آموزش و پرورش: 88 مدرسه در زلزله خوی آسیب جدی دید/ 873 فضای آموزشی تحت تاثیر زلزله قرار گرفت". rokna.net (in Persian). 2023-01-29.
  36. ^ "مصدومیت ۲۰ نفر در زلزله دیروز خوی" (in Persian). Tabnak. 2023-03-17. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
  37. ^ "آخرین جزئیات زلزله خوی/ تعداد مصدومان زمین لرزه به 165 نفر رسید/ خسارت به ۸۰ واحد مسکونی" (in Persian). Khabarban. 2023-03-24. Retrieved 2023-03-24.
  38. ^ "آخرین وضعیت مصدومان زلزله خوی/مراجعه 82 نفر به مراکز درمانی" (in Persian). Fars News. 2023-03-23. Retrieved 2023-03-23.
  39. ^ "وقوع زلزله ۵.۶ ریشتری در خوی/ فرماندار: خسارت زلزله جزیی است" (in Persian). Jamaran News. 2023-03-23. Retrieved 2023-03-23.