December 2015 Hindu Kush earthquake

Earthquake This article is about the Hindu Kush earthquake that happened on 25 December 2015. For the first major earthquake on 26 October 2015, see October 2015 Hindu Kush earthquake.

December 2015 Hindu Kush earthquake

UTC time	2015-12-25 19:14:47
ISC event	612128431
USGS-ANSS	ComCat
Local date	25 December 2015 (2015-12-25)
Local time	23:44:47
Magnitude	6.3 M_w
Depth	203.4 km (126.4 mi)
Epicenter	36°29′10″N 71°08′17″E / 36.486°N 71.138°E / 36.486; 71.138
Areas affected	Afghanistan Pakistan India
Max. intensity	MMI V (Moderate)
Casualties	4

The December 2015 Hindu Kush earthquake occurred with a moment magnitude of 6.3 in South Asia on 25 December 2015. One woman was killed in Pakistan. At least 100 people were injured in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The quake was also strongly felt in Tajikistan and India. The epicenter of the earthquake was in the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border region at a depth of 203.4 km.

Background

Region	Number of deaths	Number of injuries
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa	3	83
Gilgit-Baltistan	1	5
Nangarhar Province		12
Total	4	100

An earthquake of 7.3 M_w was felt in the same region in October 2015 causing 398 deaths and 2,536 injuries in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The Himalayan mountains are pushed up by the collision of tectonic plates, making them prone to devastating quakes. An earthquake in April 2015, Nepal's worst in 80 years, killed over 8,600 people.

The last major earthquake in the same region of similar magnitude (7.6 M_w) was almost ten years prior in October 2005, which resulted in 87,351 deaths, 75,266 injured, 2.8 million people being displaced, and 250,000 farm animals deaths. The notable difference between this earthquake and the 2005 earthquake is the depth of the seismic activity. The 2005 earthquake was 15 km deep while this earthquake was 203.4 km deep, reducing its effects at the surface.

In recent studies, geologists claim that global warming is one of the reasons for increased seismic activity. According to these studies melting glaciers and rising sea levels disturb the balance of pressure on Earth's tectonic plates thus causing an increase in the frequency and intensity of earthquakes. This could be one of the reasons why the Himalayas are getting more prone to earthquakes in recent years.

References

^ ANSS. "Afghanistan 2015: M 6.3 – 42 km WSW of Ashkasham, Afghanistan". Comprehensive Catalog. U.S. Geological Survey.
^ "Earthquake leaves 4 dead, more than 100 injured in Afghanistan and Pakistan". Fox News. 26 December 2015.
"Strong 6.2 magnitude earthquake jolts parts of Pakistan, Afghanistan". The Express Tribune. 26 December 2015.
"Quake rattles areas in Punjab, KPK, Azad Kashmir". Samaa TV.
"Dozens injured in Afghan quake". The Australian. 26 December 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
"6.2-Magnitude Earthquake Hits Northern Afghanistan and Pakistan". NBC News. Associated Press. 26 December 2015.
"M7.5 – 45 km N of 'Alaqahdari-ye Kiran wa Munjan, Afghanistan". United States Geological Survey. 26 December 2015.
"Live Updates". ndma.gov.pk. 5 November 2015. Archived from the original on 21 November 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
"The Latest: UN Mobilizing to Aid Quake Victims". United States: ABC News. Associated Press. 26 October 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
Press Trust of India (23 May 2015). "Nepal earthquake death toll reaches 8,635, over 300 missing". The Indian Express. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
"Afghanistan Struck by Powerful Earthquake". The New York Times. 26 October 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
"Nepal earthquake could have been manmade disaster climate change brings". Newsweek. Retrieved 26 December 2015.

Portals:

v t e ← Earthquakes in 2015 →
April	Gorkha, Nepal (7.8, April 25) †‡
May	Kodari, Nepal (7.3, May 12) † Ogasawara, Japan (7.8, May 30)
June	Sabah, Malaysia (6.0, June 4)
July	Pishan, China (6.4, July 3) Islamabad, Pakistan (5.1, July 24)
August	South Kivu, DR Congo (5.8, August 7)
September	Illapel, Chile (8.3, September 16)
October	Hindu Kush, Afghanistan (7.5, October 26) †
November	Lefkada, Greece (6.5, November 17)
December	Murghob District, Tajikistan (7.2, December 7) Hindu Kush, Afghanistan (6.3, December 25)
† indicates earthquake resulting in at least 30 deaths ‡ indicates the deadliest earthquake of the year Times for all earthquakes are in UTC

v t e Earthquakes in Afghanistan
20th century	1956 Baghlan 1983 Hindu Kush 1990 Hindu Kush 1991 Hindu Kush February 1998 May 1998
21st century	2002 Hindu Kush April 2009 October 2009 2010 2012 2013 Laghman October 2015 Hindu Kush December 2015 Hindu Kush 2016 January 2022 June 2022 September 2022 2023 Badakhshan 2023 Herat

v t e Earthquakes in Pakistan
Pre-20th century	1555 Kashmir 1885 Kashmir
20th century	1935 Quetta 1945 Balochistan 1974 Pattan 1981 Darel Valley 1983 Hindu Kush 1991 Hindu Kush 1992 Kohat 1997 Harnai
21st century	2002 Hindu Kush 2005 Kashmir 2005 Hindu Kush 2008 Ziarat 2011 Dalbandin 2013 Saravan 2013 Laghman 2013 Balochistan 2014 Pakistan 2015 Islamabad October 2015 Hindu Kush December 2015 Hindu Kush 2019 Azad Kashmir 2021 Balochistan 2022 Durand Line March 2023

v t e Earthquakes in Tajikistan
1907 Qaratog 1911 Sarez 1949 Khait 1983 Hindu Kush 1985 Kayrakkum 1989 Gissar 1990 Hindu Kush 1991 Hindu Kush 1992 Suusamyr 2006 Tajikistan 2011 Fergana Valley 2015 Tajikistan 2015 Hindu Kush 2023 Badakhshan

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