2/11/99 Afghanistan Earthquake

Updated 2/18/99

An earthquake with a Magnitude of 5.9 Ms centered 36 miles to the west of Kabul caused widespread damage February 11, 1999 at 6:38 pm local time (1408 GMT). Official estimates put the death toll at over 50 with 30,000 homeless. Most of the damage came from the collapse of unreinforced earthen buildings. Relief agancies are encouraging building more earthquake resistant structures to reduce damage from future quakes.

Afghanistan is in an extremely active seismic region that runs in an east/west direction from the Mediterranian Sea through Central Asia. This area is being compressed as the Indian Plate collides with the Eurasian Plate. This collision is continuing to raise the Hindu Kush and Himalyan Mountain Ranges. To the West similar processes cause earthquakes in Iran as a result of the movement of the Arabian Plate into the Eurasian Plate. Still further West, the Alps are the result of the collision of the African and Eurasian Plates. (See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes.)

See also the following news stories:

• BBC report: Earthquake leaves 50 dead
• BBC Report 2/18/99: Afganistan rebuilds
• BBC Report 2/21/99 Afghanistan relief flows

1/25/99 Columbia Earthquake

Updated 2/14/99

The Columbian cities of Armenia and Calcara were struck by a major earthquake, with a Magnitude of 5.8, at 18:19 GMT (1:19 PM local time) Monday January 25, 1999. The initial shock was followed 4 hours later, at 22:40 (5:40 PM local time) GMT by a Magnitude 5.4 aftershock. Although initially 1000-2000 people were feared killed, the confirmed death toll now stands at 938, with 4117 injuries and 400,000 homeless, according to government figures. Armenia is a city of 300,000 in the coffee growing region of Columbia, 140 miles from Bogota. Much of the city lay in ruins after the quake. Entire neighborhoods were destroyed. Many of the collapsed buildings were unreinforced concrete. Officials fear more casualties from hunger and disease. Long term damage to the coffee industry is feared. The coffee plants themselves were not damaged, for the most part, but many processing plants and roads necessary to bring the crop to market were destroyed. Repairs may be slow in coming. Coffee prices have risen on the world markets after the quake and wages in the coffee producing regions have dropped.

Distribution of emergency food and supplies has been a major problem. Supplies at first sat at the airport without the means of distribution to areas that needed it. Government officials were at first overwhelmed and ensnared in red tape as they attempt to respond. The mayor of Calcara had to go to the airport personally in order to obtain aid for his city.

Looting was widespread as desparate people tried to get food. 4,000 troops were deployed to try to control the looting, with limited success as some soldiers expressed sympathy for the looters. At least one supermarket was burned and other stores have given away food since it would have been taken anyway.

The quake's focus was unusually shallow for this region, only 10-20 miles underground. This shallow focus explains the severity of the damage, since in shallow quakes the earthquake waves reach the surface quickly with less chance to dissipate than deeper ones. This area is located near the edges of three tectonic plates, the Nazca Plate, the South American Plate and the Carribean Plate. Normally, we would expect an earthquake here to be caused by subduction of the Nazca Plate under the South American Plate. However, if this were the case, we would expect a deeper focus. See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes

Here are some news stories about the quake:
BBC pictures of the Quake

BBC report on Columbia Earthquake

AP report on Columbia Earthquake from San Francisco Examiner

11/29/98 - 7.6 Quake Rocks Remote Indonesian Islands

Updated 12/3/98

The earthquake's epicenter was in the Molucca Strait near the island of Mangole about 1200 miles east of Djakarta. This is one of the more remote areas of Indonesia. The population of the island is about 38,000. There was also substantial damage but no reported deaths on the neighboring islands. News stories from the region report 25 dead. A timber factory collapsed, at least partially into the ocean, with an estimated 200 people inside. Many houses are also reported to have slid into the sea. Rescue efforts are continuing. Thousands of people are reported camping out in fear of aftershocks, which are occurring, with magnitudes up to 5.8. Many people fled to higher ground in case of a tsunami. However, there has been no tsunami. Many buildings have been reported to have been destroyed. Landslides have cut communications with much of the islands near the epicenter. There are no hospitals on the affected islands, however there have been some airlifts of supplies in and injured people out.

Indonesia is located in one of the most seismically active areas of the world. Earthquakes here are caused by the subduction of the Eastern Pacific crust under the Asian plate. This action not only causes frequent earthquakes, but is responsible for the volcanic action that created these islands. As the ocean crust dives under the continental plate, it is heated to the melting point and rises as magma to the surface where it creates the volcanic island arcs so common in this area. See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes

See these links for news stories.

• 11/29/98 7.6 Quake rocks Indonesia - BBC
• Quake toll Rises - BBC
• CNN Report on 11/29/98 Indonesian Quake