Kabul [Afghanistan], March 21 (ANI): On Friday, an earthquake measuring 4.9 on the Richter scale hit Afghanistan, as reported by the National Center for Seismology (NCS).
According to NCS data, the earthquake happened at a depth of 160 kilometers.
On X, NCS posted, "Magnitude EQ: 4.9, Date & Time: March 21, 2025 at 01:00:57 IST, Latitude: 36.48 N, Longitude: 71.45 E, Depth: 160 km, Epicenter: Afghanistan."
On March 13, an earthquake with a magnitude of 4.0 shook Afghanistan.
According to the NCS, the earthquake happened at a depth of 10 kilometers, which makes it prone to aftershocks.
According to NCS, an earthquake with a magnitude of 4.0 was recorded on March 13, 2025, at 13:58:36 Indian Standard Time. The epicenter was located at coordinates 36.69° North latitude and 69.70° East longitude, with a depth of 10 kilometers, situated in Afghanistan.
Shallow earthquakes pose a higher risk than deep ones because they release their energy nearer to the Earth's surface, resulting in more intense ground movements and heightened destruction of buildings along with greater loss of life when contrasted with deep quakes, which tend to dissipate strength before reaching the surface.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), Afghanistan continues to be at high risk for various natural calamities such as seasonal floods, landslides, and earthquakes.
As highlighted by UNOCHA, these recurrent earthquakes in Afghanistan exacerbate the challenges faced by fragile communities, who are already struggling with years of conflict and inadequate development. This has significantly reduced their ability to withstand various concurrent crises.
Afghanistan frequently experiences strong earthquakes, as noted by the Red Cross. The Hindu Kush mountain region is seismically active, with tremors occurring annually due to ongoing geological processes.
Afghanistan is located on several fault lines where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet, and one of these faults runs right through Herat.
When an earthquake occurs, both its magnitude and depth play crucial roles; typically, shallower quakes cause greater destruction compared to those occurring deep within the earth. Unfortunately, Afghanistan frequently experiences such damaging shallow earthquakes because of the area’s tectonic plates sliding past each other rather than colliding head-on. (ANI)
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