Northern Afghanistan was rocked by an earthquake late Sunday the 18th of April, that has killed seven and injured more than 70, with officials saying the death toll is likely to rise. The earthquake, which measured 5.7 on the Richter Scale, hit 120 miles north west of the capital Kabul just before midnight local time, sparking landslides and damaging 300 houses.
The Afghanistan quake comes as the death toll from last week’s earthquake in China passes 1700, and just a day after a strong 6.3 magnitude quake shook Papua New Guinea.
Meanwhile seismologists have placed recorders around the South Australian capital of Adelaide to check for aftershocks after it recorded its strongest earthquake in 20 years on Friday the 23rd April. Adelaide and surrounds was shaken for about 20 seconds by a quake of 3-point-8 on the Richter Scale.
Seismologists Say Recent Earthquake Activity Not Unusual
As the latest earthquakes are added to the devastating quakes in Haiti and Chile this year, some are asking whether we are seeing an increasing number of earthquakes, and whether they are becoming stronger.
Dr David Jepsen is a seismologist with the Australian Government’s monitoring service, Geoscience Australia. He says the recent spate of earthquakes is not unusual. Dr Jepsen has told Sydney Radio 2UE’s Tim Webster that we are more aware of the earthquakes that are taking place because population growth has led to people living in areas that are susceptible to tremors.
“In Australia, magnitude earthquakes of 3-point-8 that we had the other day in Adelaide happen around twice a month, but as most of these are outside population centers, most people don’t even know.”
The increasing number of seismograph stations monitoring earthquakes is also a contributing factor. In 1931 there were 350 in the world. Today there are more than 8000.
The Importance of Earthquake Resistant Buildings
Dr Jepsen says while it is not possible to predict when and where an earthquake will take place, some areas are more likely to be affected due to their position on the tectonic plate. He says building quality is a vital factor in earthquake prone areas, as the recent earthquake in Haiti demonstrated.
The 8.8 magnitude earthquake that rocked Chile in February was 500 times stronger than the 7.0 quake that hit Haiti the month before. The fact that Chile’s government forces builders to follow strict earthquake proof codes which were almost non existent in Haiti has been held partly responsible for the fact that around 200,000 Haitians died compared to hundreds in the stronger Chilean quake.
When asked about the likelihood of California being hit with a strong earthquake, Dr Jepsen says it’s inevitable.
“If you look at the statistical history of earthquakes, they will occur on those major plate boundaries. When they’ll occur we can’t predict, but they will occur at some point in time. When that happens, it will be very interesting to see how California’s buildings are able to withstand such a quake.”
Amanda Woods - Amanda Woods is a journalist and producer with more than 15 years experience in radio, television and print. She now enjoys sharing her ...
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