2013 Bushehr earthquake By Mardetanha 002

The 2013 Bushehr earthquake occurred with a

moment magnitude The moment magnitude scale (MMS; denoted explicitly with or Mwg, and generally implied with use of a single M for magnitude) is a measure of an earthquake's magnitude ("size" or strength) based on its seismic moment. was defined in a 1979 paper ...

of 6.3 on April 9 in

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

. The shock's

epicenter The epicenter (), epicentre, or epicentrum in seismology is the point on the Earth's surface directly above a hypocenter or focus, the point where an earthquake or an underground explosion originates. Determination The primary purpose of a ...

was in the province of

Bushehr Bushehr (; ) is a port city in the Central District (Bushehr County), Central District of Bushehr County, Bushehr province, Bushehr province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. Etymology The roots of the n ...

, near the city of Khvormuj and the towns of Kaki and

Shonbeh Shonbeh () is a city in, and the capital of, Shonbeh and Tasuj District in Dashti County, Bushehr province, Iran. It also serves as the administrative center for Shonbeh Rural District. Demographics Population At the time of the 2006 Nat ...

. At least 37 people were killed, mostly from the town of

and villages of Shonbeh-Tasuj district, and an estimated 850 people were injured.

Tectonic setting

Iran lies within the complex zone of

collision In physics, a collision is any event in which two or more bodies exert forces on each other in a relatively short time. Although the most common use of the word ''collision'' refers to incidents in which two or more objects collide with great for ...

between the Arabian plate and the Eurasian plate. The rate of convergence between the plates near the

epicentre The epicenter (), epicentre, or epicentrum in seismology is the point on the Earth's surface directly above a hypocenter or focus, the point where an earthquake or an underground explosion originates. Determination The primary purpose of a s ...

is about per year, of which only part is taken up within the

Zagros fold and thrust belt The Zagros fold and thrust belt (Zagros FTB) is an approximately long zone of deformed crustal rocks, formed in the foreland of the collision between the Arabian plate and the Eurasian plate. It is host to one of the world's largest petroleum ...

. The earthquake was the result of

thrust fault A thrust fault is a break in the Earth's crust, across which older rocks are pushed above younger rocks. Thrust geometry and nomenclature Reverse faults A thrust fault is a type of reverse fault that has a dip of 45 degrees or less. I ...

ing on a NW-SE trending fault plane, consistent with continuing shortening of the Arabian plate.

Earthquake

At 16:22 IRDT (11:52

UTC Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is the primary time standard globally used to regulate clocks and time. It establishes a reference for the current time, forming the basis for civil time and time zones. UTC facilitates international communica ...

) on April 9, 2013, an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 struck the southwestern coast of Iran, in

Bushehr province Bushehr Province () is one of the 31 Provinces of Iran, provinces of Iran. It is in the south of the country, with a long coastline on the Persian Gulf. Its capital is the city of Bushehr. The province was made a part of Regions of Iran, Re ...

. It struck at a depth of , near the towns of Khvormuj and Kaki. A total of 282 of

aftershock In seismology, an aftershock is a smaller earthquake that follows a larger earthquake, in Epicenter, the same area of the Mainshock, main shock, caused as the displaced Crust (geology), crust adjusts to the effects of the main shock. Large earthq ...

s followed, most within the first hour of the main quake. The strongest aftershock had a magnitude of 5.4. The area is home to ten thousand people and fifty villages. The

United States Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), founded as the Geological Survey, is an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geography, geology, and hydrology. The agency was founded on Mar ...

(USGS) estimated that 80,000 people experienced strong tremors while several million felt light shaking. The earthquake was felt in many countries around the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...

, including

Qatar Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Geography of Qatar, Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares Qatar–Saudi Arabia border, its sole land b ...

Bahrain Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which mak ...

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

, and the

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a Federal monarchy, federal elective monarchy made up of Emirates of the United Arab E ...

Damage

At least 37 people were killed and an estimated 850 were injured by the

earthquake An earthquakealso called a quake, tremor, or tembloris the shaking of the Earth's surface resulting from a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from those so weak they ...

. Most of those killed were in the town of

and villages of Shonbeh-Tasuj District. Of the injured, 100 required hospitalization. Two villages in the Khvormuj district were reported to have been "levelled". Landslides caused by the earthquake were reported in Kaki City. According to provincial governor Fereydun Hasanvand, 700 homes were damaged, affecting 200 families. Many residents in the

Shonbeh District Shonbeh and Tasuj District () is in Dashti County, Bushehr province, Iran. Its capital is the city of Shonbeh. History The village of Shonbeh Shonbeh () is a city in, and the capital of, Shonbeh and Tasuj District in Dashti County, ...

lost power and water services. Residents took to the streets in search of safety as aftershock after aftershock hit. A report by Iran's

International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology (IIEES) (Persian: پژوهشگاه بین‌المللی زلزله‌شناسی و مهندسی زلزله) is an international earthquake engineering and seismology institute based ...

stated that most of the buildings damaged were adobe buildings constructed in the last 50 years; and that 100 houses were destroyed, 1,000 people were left homeless, and that about $50 million in damage occurred. In April 10, the largest aftershock with a magnitude of 5.4 injured four people and destroyed buildings already weakened by the mainshock the day prior. The

Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant The Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant () is a nuclear power plant in Iran south of Tehran ( southeast of the city of Bushehr), between the fishing villages of Halileh and Bandargeh along the Persian Gulf. Construction of the plant was started in 1 ...

was not damaged, according to its operator and the governor of the province. It was built to withstand a magnitude 8 earthquake, according to an official.

Aftermath

Iran's

Red Crescent Society The organized International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 16million volunteering, volunteers, members, and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ...

and the

Iranian Navy The Islamic Republic of Iran Navy (IRIN; ), also referred as the Iranian Navy (abbreviated NEDAJA; ), is the naval warfare service branch of Iran's regular military, the Islamic Republic of Iran Army (''Artesh''). It is one of Iran's two maritim ...

sent teams to Bushehr Province on the first night to deliver first aid. Several helicopters from nearby provinces helped airlift in emergency supplies. Temporary shelters were erected in the first week after the earthquake. Three days of

national mourning A national day of mourning is a day, or one of several days, marked by mourning and memorial activities observed among the majority of a country's populace. They are designated by the national government. Such days include those marking the deat ...

were announced on April 9.

References

External links

Major Earthquake Strikes Iran
* {{Earthquakes in Iran 2013 earthquakes 2013 in Iran April 2013 in Iran Earthquakes in Iran