Why Earthquakes Occur & Why Afghanistan is Vulnerable
Causes of Earthquake
- Earthquakes occur due to sudden release of stored strain energy when tectonic plates slip past each other.
- Earth’s crust is fragmented into tectonic plates. Their slow movement leads to stress buildup → when friction is overcome, seismic waves are released.
- Shallow-focus earthquakes (depth ≤ 70 km) are more destructive as energy is released closer to the surface.
Magnitude & Impact
- Each increase of 1 on the magnitude scale represents 10 times greater wave amplitude and ~32 times more energy release.
- Shallow quakes cause higher damage compared to deeper ones.
Why Afghanistan is Vulnerable
- Afghanistan lies at the collision zone of Indian and Eurasian plates.
- Region has multiple fault lines, making it one of the world’s most seismically active zones (≈15% of global seismic energy released here).
- Indian plate is moving northward at ~45 mm/year, continuously pushing against Eurasia.
- The Hindu Kush region alone has experienced ≥12 earthquakes (magnitude >7) since 1900.
- Recent events highlight vulnerability:
- 2023 Herat quakes killed ~1,300.
- 2022 quake killed ~1,300 in southeast Afghanistan.
- 2024 quake (magnitude 6.0, depth 8 km) killed >800 and injured >2000.
Key Takeaways for UPSC
- Afghanistan is part of seismic belt stretching from Mediterranean to Himalayas.
- Vulnerability arises from:
- Active tectonics (collision zone).
- Shallow quakes common in region.
- Poor infrastructure and lack of disaster preparedness amplify human loss.