Hir-Ardebil Earthquake of 30 December 1863, Ms=6.1

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Hir-Ardebil Earthquake of 30 December 1863, Ms=6.1

At about 10 p.m. local time on December 30, 1863, an earthquake of magnitude Ms=6.1 occurred in Ardebil Province of Iran. The epicenter of the earthquake was located at the coordination of 38.2N and 48.6E. The event made large damages specially in Hir District. It also damaged many other cities such as Niaragh, Kert, Dalilu, Aral Loo and Now Shahr. About 1000 people were killed in total. Although there was no large damage in Ardebil, almost all buildings were cracked. In Lankaran, with about 80 km distance from the epicenter, hanging lights had swung for some seconds and their movement amplitude was up to 60 cm. There were also many landslides between Hir and Belgoor. On January, 2, 1864, a powerful aftershock intensified the damages and causalities.

The most important worldwide earthquakes (M>7) on this day

Date Time Y X Depth Mw Region Refrence
1863/12/30 38.20 48.60 – 6.1 Hir-Ardebil Amb
1951/12/30 18:21:0 28.34 57.21 – 6  Kerman Amb
1983/12/30 23:52:40 36.372 70.738 214.5 7.4 Hindu Kush region, Afghanistan USGS

 

Quchan Earthquake of 23 December 1871, Mw=7.2

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Quchan Earthquake of 23 December 1871, Mw=7.2

An earthquake with magnitude of Ms=7.2 occurred in Quchan on December 23, 1871. The epicenter of the earthquake was located in the north of Quchan in the coordination of 58.4E and 37.4N. In Atrak valley, about half of Quchan city consisting of schools, mosques and others buildings were destroyed. Fortunately, the death toll was a few since the people had felt some foreshocks before the large event. In the northwestern parts, Jafarabad, Esfanjir and other eight villages were totally destroyed. The earthquake was felt in far distances such as Mashhad and Tehran. A year later, on January 6, 1872, a powerful aftershock had occurred and completed the destructions. Aftershock sequences were lasted for four years.

The most important worldwide earthquakes (M>7) on this day

Date Time Y X Depth Mw Region Refrence
1871/12/23 – 37.40 58.40 – 7.2 Ghuchan Amb
1937/12/23 13:18:02 16.749 -98.359 25 7.4 Guerrero, Mexico USGS
1978/12/23 11:23:12 23.247 122.075 33 7 Taiwan region USGS

 

Qumis (Damghan) Earthquake of 22 December 856, Mw=7.9

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Qumis (Damghan) Earthquake of 22 December 856, Mw=7.9

The 856 Damghan earthquake or the 856 Qumis earthquake occurred on 22 December, 856 AD (242 A.H.) with an estimated magnitude of Ms=7.9. The meizoseismal area (area of maximum damage) extended for about 350 kilometers along the southern edge of the eastern Alborz mountains of present-day Iran including parts of Tabaristan and Gorgan. The earthquake’s epicenter is estimated to be close to the city of Damghan with coordination of 36.2°N and 54.3°E, which was then the capital of the Persian province of Qumis. The total death toll for the earthquake is reported as 200,000, with 45,096 casualties in Damghan alone. It caused approximately 200,000 deaths and is listed by the USGS as the sixth deadliest earthquake in recorded history. Aftershocks affected the area for several years, probably including a damaging earthquake in western Khurasan. The area of significant damage extended along the Alborz for about 350 kilometres, including the towns of Ahevanu, Astan, Tash, Bastam and Shahrud, with almost all the villages in the area severely damaged. Hecatompylos, now called Šahr-e Qumis, the former capital of Parthia, was destroyed. Half of Damghan and a third of the town of Bustam were also destroyed. The earthquake badly affected water supplies in the Qumis area, partly due to springs and qanats drying up, but also because of landslides damming streams. (Ambraseys and Melville, 2005).

The most important worldwide earthquakes (M>7) on this day

Date Time Y X Depth Mw Region Refrence
856/12/22 – 36.20 54.30 – 7.8 Ghumas Amb
1906/12/22 18:21:11 44.284 85.572 15 7.8 northern Xinjiang, China USGS
1964/12/22 4:36:35 28.12 56.8 42 6.1  Iran Amb
1997/12/22 2:05:50 -5.495 147.867 179.3 7.2 eastern New Guinea region, Papua New Guinea USGS

 

Salafchegan, Qom Earthquake of 19 December 1980, Mw=6.2

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Salafchegan, Qom Earthquake of 19 December 1980, Mw=6.2

An earthquake of magnitude Mw=6.2, mb=5.6 and Ms=5.8 occurred in Salafchegan, Qom province of Iran on Dec. 19, 1980, at 04:47 in local time. The epicenter of the earthquake was located at 34.587°N and 50.652°E, 145 km southwest of Tehran with focal depth of about 33 km. The earthquake is likely to be triggered by the Indes fault rupture which caused 26 death.

The most important worldwide earthquakes (M>7) on this day

Date Time Y X Depth Mw Region Refrence
1862/12/19 – 39.30 47.80 – 6.1 Iran Amb
1928/12/19 11:37:18 6.753 124.178 25 7.4 Mindanao, Philippines USGS
1938/12/19 18:56:10 36.23 57.96 0 5.82  Iran AMB
1977/12/19 23:34:40 30.93 56.48 31 5.9 Gisk (Baabtangal, Zarand) Amb
1980/12/19 1:16:60 34.587 50.652 33 6.2  Iran NEIC
1981/12/19 14:10:51 39.243 25.227 10 7.2 Aegean Sea USGS
1982/12/19 19:40:50 30.574 57.524 40 5.3  Iran NEIC