Paper: GS – I, Subject: Geography, Topic: Geo-Physical phenomenon, Issue: Afghanistan Prone to Earthquakes.
Context:
Afghanistan’s location at the junction of major tectonic plates makes it highly earthquake-prone, and its weak infrastructure and conflict-driven vulnerabilities worsen the impact.
Key Takeaways:
| Location in Alpide Belt (or Alpine-Himalayan Orogenic Belt): Afghanistan is earthquake-prone as it is located in the Hindu Kush region, part of the Alpide belt.The Alpide belt is the second most seismically active region globally, after the circum-Pacific belt.It is a young mountain belt that runs from the Atlantic to the Himalayas.The Alpide belt formed when the Tethys Ocean closed due to the collision of the African, Arabian, and Indian Plates with the Eurasian Plate.The collision of the plates along the convergent plate boundary results in frequent seismic activities. |
Why is Afghanistan Prone to Tremors?
Afghanistan’s high earthquake risk is primarily due to its location at the intersection of several major tectonic plates:
- Tectonic Plate Intersection: Afghanistan lies on the edge of the Eurasian tectonic plate.
- Transgression Zone: It shares a transgression zone with the Indian plate, where the two plates may converge or brush past each other.
- Influence of the Arabian Plate: The Arabian plate to the south also influences the region.
- Tectonically Active Region: This combination makes Afghanistan one of the world’s most tectonically active regions.
- Northward Movement of the Indian Plate: The northward movement of the Indian plate and its collision with the Eurasian plate is the primary cause of the numerous earthquakes in Afghanistan.
- Remote Areas: Aid delivery to remote areas is often delayed, increasing the impact of earthquakes.
Which were Afghanistan’s Worst Earthquakes?
Afghanistan has a history of devastating earthquakes:
- Frequency: Afghanistan has recorded around 100 “damaging” earthquakes since 1900.
- 2022 Earthquake: A magnitude 6 earthquake in 2022 killed 1,000 people.
- 2023 Earthquakes: Multiple quakes in one month in 2023 killed 1,000 people and destroyed entire villages.
- 2015 Earthquake: A magnitude 7.5 earthquake in 2015 killed 399 people in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India.
- 1998 Earthquakes: Two earthquakes within three months in 1998 caused significant devastation, killing 2,300 and 4,700 people, respectively.
How can the Country Build Resilience?
- To mitigate the impact of earthquakes, Afghanistan needs to focus on several key areas:
- Earthquake-Resistant Construction: New structures should be built to withstand earthquakes.
- Retrofitting Existing Buildings: Existing buildings should be retrofitted to reduce the risk of collapse.
- Monitoring and Early Warning Systems: Develop better monitoring and early warning systems for timely alerts.
- Fault Line Mapping: Map fault lines using geospatial and remote sensing technologies to enable relocation of people in vulnerable areas.
Afghanistan can strengthen earthquake resilience by constructing quake-resistant buildings, retrofitting vulnerable structures, improving monitoring and early warning systems, and mapping fault lines to guide relocation from high-risk zones.
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