Information message about the strong earthquake in the Iran-Pakistan border region on April 16, 2013

     The strong earthquake with M=7.8 has occurred on April 16, 2013 at 10:44 GMT (14:44 Moscow time) in the Iran-Pakistan border region, it caused victims and destructions.
     Parameters of the earthquake have been determined in the Alert Service (AS) of Information Processing Center (IPC) of Geophysical Survey of RAS in Obninsk with station data obtained from digital and analog seismic stations of Russia, countries of CIS and from abroad. Alert message on this earthquake has been delivered in 14 min after registration to the Ministry of Emergency of the Russian Federation (EMERCOM).
     Preliminary processing has been done with data from 59 stations, accurate processing - with data 70 stations.
     Fig. 1 presents fragments of records obtained from digital stations Ala-Archa (∆ 17.6º), Garni (∆ 18.6º), Nalchik (∆ 21.4º), Kislovodsk (∆ 22.2º), Borovoe (∆ 25.6º). Fig. 2 presents fragments of records obtained from digital stations Obninsk (∆ 32.7º), Pulkovo (∆ 38.3º), Talaya (∆ 38.9º), Lovozero (∆ 43º), Tiksi (∆ 56.3º).

Figure 1
 

Figure 2
 
     IPC GS RAS also has obtained information with parameters of this event from some seismological centers, these data are given in table 1:
Table 1
NN Time in origin h-min-s (GMT) Lat degr. Lon degr. Depth km N s/st Ms/ N mb/ N I0 calc GAP Center
1 10-44-17.7 28.14 62.06  70  70  7.6/337.1/387.5-8  IPC GS RAS (Accurate)
2 10-44-17.7 28.13 62.08  70  59  7.6/277.1/297.5-8 57 IPC GS RAS (Preliminary)
3 10-44-20.9 28.144 62.079  86.6  569  Mw 7.8   29 CSEM
4 10-44-20.7 28.107 62.053  82  175  Mw 7.8 7.1/322 32 NEIC
5 10-44-17.0 27.85 62.1  62  12   7.6  239 IIEES
6 10-44-17.4 28.04 62.03  95  16  ML 7.5    IGUT
  • IPC GS RAS - Informational Processing Center, Geophysical Survey, Russian Academy of Sciences
  • CSEM - European - Mediterranean seismological center
  • NEIC - National Earthquakes Information Center of US Geological Service
  • IIEES - International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology, Tehran, Iran
  • IGUT - Institute of Geophysics, University of Tehran
  • Epicenter
         Fig. 3 presents with red star epicenter of this earthquake which origin was located in the border area between Iran and Pakistan, at the depth of 70 km, 190 km S-S-E of Zahedan, Iran, 327 km south of Zaranj, Afghanistan, and 535 km E-S-E of Quetta, Pakistan.

    Figure 3
    Aftershock
         GS RAS registered 5 aftershocks with M≥4.1 within 19 hours after the main shock.
    N Date   &   Time (GMT)
    yy-mm-dd hh:mm:sec
    Lat
    degr.
    Lon
    degr.
    Depth
    km
    N
    station
    Ms/ N mb/ N Io
    calc.
    Region
    201313762013-04-16 13:54:01.028.1662.347013-4.5/ 12-Southwestern Pakistan
    201313782013-04-16 16:26:44.028.1362.087018-4.1/ 8-Southwestern Pakistan
    201313852013-04-17 03:04:32.028.1627020-4.1/ 16-Southern Iran
    201313842013-04-17 03:15:52.028.2262.337061-5.9/ 374.5-5 Southwestern Pakistan
    201313862013-04-17 04:53:27.028.3162.437030-5.0/ 202-2.5 Southwestern Pakistan
    Macroseismic manifestations
         In accordance with RIA-Novosti 30 were killed on the territory of Pakistan, thousands of houses were destroyed in Pakistan and more than 1200 houses in Iran. This earthquake was felt on the whole territory of south-west Asia. Residents of India, UAE, Bahrain and Qatar were in panic, people ran away from houses and offices. «Interfax» Agency reported about evacuation from trade center in Dubai. Fig. 4 obtained from USGS NEIC , presents USGS Community Internet Intensity Map made by 450 responses in 91 cities.

    Figure 4
    Focal mechanism and seismic moment of the earthquake
         The focal mechanism of this earthquake was calculated at the IPC GS RAS by the signs of initial arrivals of the waves at 170 stations, including 103 of them which registered compression waves (plus signs) and 67 which registered expansion waves (minus signs). The stations are located evenly in the range of epicentral distances of 8-96 º along the azimuth. Focal mechanism in stereographic projection on the lower hemisphere is shown in figure 5, elements of this mechanism are presented in table 2. Table 2 and figures 6, 7 also present focal mechanism solutions obtained with Centroid Moment Solution in USGS NEIC and with method of centroid moment tensor obtained in Quick CMT Catalog, USA. All solutions obtained in different centers are close. The earthquake occurred under the action of expansion stresses oriented to the north. Nodal planes lie at angles DP = 33-73º. One of them NP1 in accordance with USGS and CMT has a northeastern direction of propagation (Stk = 80-82º), another NP2 - southwest (Stk = 236-239º). In case of P-waves direction of propagation for the plane with DP = 33º - south-east (Stk = 131º), for the plane with DP = 73º - south-west (Stk = 249º). Type of motion for both planes – normal faults with slip components (left-hand on NP1 and right-hand on NP2). The seismic moment of the earthquake obtained in IPC GS RAS from spectra of P-waves at two stations: "Arti" (Δ28.4º) and "Obninsk" (Δ32.7º) is Mo = 1.8*10**20 N*m The average value of moment magnitude calculated by Kanamori formula Mw=7.5. The seismic moment of the earthquake according to USGS NEIC - Mo=4.1*10**20 N*m, Mw=7.7, according to the Quick CMT - Mo=5.07*10**20 N*m, Mw=7.7.
    Table 2
    Axes of main strengths Nodal planes Center
    T P N NP1 NP2
    Pl Azm Pl Azm Pl Azm Stk Dp Slip Stk Dp Slip
    23153124 2825913133-32249 73-119IPC GS RAS
    1333672113 122448234-6882 34-68NEIC
    1033876112 102468036-73239 55-102Quick CMT
  • IPC GS RAS - Informational Processing Center, Geophysical Survey, Russian Academy of Sciences
  • NEIC - National Earthquakes Information Center of US Geological Service
  • Quick CMT - Quick CMT catalog

  • Figure 5

    Figure 6

    Figure 7


    News | Catalogs | Wave Forms | Alert Service | Software | Links | Srtucture | Publications | Conferences | Announce | About
    © FRC GS RAS 1993-2018