A powerful earthquake, measuring a magnitude of 6, shook Jalalabad, Afghanistan, on Sunday night, causing widespread destruction and claiming over 800 lives, with over 2,500 people injured. The quake’s epicenter was located at a depth of 8 kilometers. The Afghanistan-Pakistan region is known for its susceptibility to earthquakes.
In the last five years, this area has experienced over 30 earthquakes, resulting in the tragic loss of more than 2,000 lives. This article aims to explain the primary reasons behind the frequent earthquakes in this region, while also providing a timeline of notable seismic activity from 2021 to 2025.
**1. The Impact of Tectonic Plate Collisions**
Afghanistan is situated within a zone where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates collide. The Indian plate is continuously moving northward and colliding with the Eurasian plate. These collisions are the primary cause of the region’s earthquakes. Furthermore, this process is responsible for the gradual uplift of the Himalayan mountain range, contributing to the overall seismic vulnerability of the area.
**2. Earthquakes Originating Deep Within the Hindu Kush Region**
The Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan is frequently affected by deep-focus earthquakes (approximately 100,000 km). These deep-seated quakes generally cause less damage at the surface. However, when the depth is shallower (e.g., 10-20 km), the effects can be devastating. Furthermore, earthquakes with depths of a few hundred kilometers can lead to significant destruction.
**3. The Presence of Active Fault Lines**
Fault lines represent fractures or cracks within rock formations. Afghanistan has a number of active fault lines, including the Chaman Fault, the Hari Rud Fault, and the Pamir Thrust Fault. Ongoing tectonic activity along these fault lines is a major cause of earthquakes in the region.
**Year 2025**
* April 12: An earthquake of magnitude 5 struck Pakistan at a depth of 39 km.
* April 16 and 19: Two earthquakes occurred in the Hindu Kush and on the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border, measuring 5.6 and 5.8 in magnitude, respectively.
* May 10: An earthquake of magnitude 5.7 was recorded in Pakistan.
* June 29: A magnitude 5.5 earthquake occurred in central Pakistan, with the epicenter at a depth of 149 km.
* August 27: A 5.6 magnitude earthquake was recorded in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan.
* August 19: A 5.2 magnitude earthquake struck the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan at a depth of 186 km.
* September 1: An earthquake of magnitude 6 occurred in Afghanistan, resulting in over 800 fatalities.
**Year 2024**
* January 5: A magnitude 5 earthquake occurred in the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border region.
* January 11: A magnitude 6.3 earthquake was recorded in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan.
* February 19: An earthquake of magnitude 5.5 occurred in northwestern Kashmir.
* Between March 9 and March 20: Several earthquakes, ranging in magnitude from 5.5 to 5.8, were recorded in Pakistan.
* September 11: An earthquake of magnitude 5.75 occurred in Pakistan, with a depth of 10 km.
* October 17: A 5.5 magnitude earthquake was recorded in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan.
**Year 2023**
* January 5: A 5.8 magnitude earthquake occurred in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan.
* Late March: A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck northern Afghanistan, resulting in 13 fatalities.
* May 3 and August 5: Earthquakes with magnitudes of 5.6 and 5.7 were recorded in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan.
* August 6: An earthquake of magnitude 5.1 was recorded on the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border.
* October: Multiple earthquakes in Afghanistan resulted in numerous casualties.
* November 15: An earthquake of magnitude 5.3 occurred in the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border region.
**Year 2022**
* January 17: An earthquake of magnitude 5.6 occurred in western Afghanistan, with a depth of 30 km.
* February 5: A 5.7 magnitude earthquake occurred in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan.
* June: A 6.0 magnitude earthquake in Afghanistan led to over 1,000 fatalities.
* August 1: A 5.6 magnitude earthquake struck the southwestern region of Pakistan.
* September 5 and 6: At least two earthquakes occurred in Afghanistan, resulting in 8 fatalities.
* December 16: A 4.3 magnitude earthquake occurred in southeastern Afghanistan.
**Year 2021**
* May 19: An earthquake of magnitude 4.6 occurred in Afghanistan, at a depth of 17.6 km.
* October 7: An earthquake in southern Pakistan caused at least 15 fatalities.
