Information message about catastrophic earthquake in Pakistan on October 8, 2005.

     On October 8, 2005 the strong earthquake has happened in the north of Pakistan at 03:50 GMT with magnitude М=7.7. Epicenter of this earthquake was located at 90 km to the north from the capital Islamabad. It was felt in Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Tajikistan.
     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 31 min after registration to the Ministry of Emergency of the Russian Federation (EMERCOM).
     Preliminary processing has been done with data from 29 stations, accurate processing - with data 40 stations.
     Fig. 1 presents fragments of records for this earthquake obtained from digital stations Ala-Archa (delta 8 degrees), Kurchatov (delta 16 degrees), Borovoe (delta 19 degrees), Garni (delta 23 degrees), Arti (delta 24 degrees), Kislovodsk (delta 25 degrees). Fig. 2 presents fragments of records for this earthquake obtained from digital stations Obninsk (delta 33 degrees), Yakutsk (delta 44 degrees), Tiksi (delta 47 degrees), Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (delta 52 degrees), Magadan (delta 54 degrees), Petropavlovsk (delta 60 degrees).

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 03-50-35.90 34.47 73.63  10  40  7.70/196.70/161062 IPC GS RAS (Accurate)
2 03-50-39.50 34.56 73.71  33  29  7.7/136.7/14962 IPC GS RAS (Preliminary)
3 03-50-36.40 34.47 73.5  10  426  7.5Mw   21 CSEM
4 03-50-38.30 34.4 73.56  10  199  7.7/1236.8/85 22 NEIC (Accurate)
5 03-50-38.60 34.43 73.54  10  142  7.1/26.9/68  NEIC (Preliminary)
6 03-50-35.80 34.6 73  33    7.4    IMD
  • 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
  • IMD - India Meteorological Department
    • Epicenter
         On fig. 3 (the map obtained from BBC site http://www.emsc-csem.org) epicenter of this earthquake is located in Pakistani part of Kashmir near the city Muzafarabad, which is the capital of Pakistani Kashmir. This earthquake is the straight result of the Indian plate’s drift under the Eurasian plate in the north with velocity of 40 mm/year.

    Figure 3
    Aftershock
         The earthquake has been accompanied with numerous aftershocks. In accordance with the Alert Service’s data within the first two days it was registered more than 60 aftershocks (fig.5). Parameters of aftershocks with magnitudes mb >=5.5 are presented below.
    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
    200526302005-10-08 04:02:28.034.5573.893316-6.4/ 116.5-7 Pakistan
    200526312005-10-08 04:26:13.034.6873.223323-6.2/ 106-6.5 Pakistan
    200526352005-10-08 05:08:43.034.6573.243317-5.7/ 95-5.5 Pakistan
    200526362005-10-08 05:19:51.034.8773.093310-5.6/ 45 Pakistan
    200526372005-10-08 05:26:07.034.7773.173319-5.9/ 75.5-6 Pakistan
    200526402005-10-08 06:15:27.034.5973.423315-5.7/ 65-5.5 Pakistan
    200526502005-10-08 10:46:31.034.8373.213324-6.5/ 87-7.5 Pakistan
    200526532005-10-08 11:33:36.034.9573.223320-5.8/ 105.5 Pakistan
    200526542005-10-08 12:08:30.034.6273.253323-5.9/ 115.5-6 Pakistan
    200526552005-10-08 12:25:22.034.8573.163328-6.1/ 136-6.5 Pakistan
    200526562005-10-08 12:44:53.034.8373.273322-5.5/ 104.5-5 Pakistan
    200526692005-10-08 21:13:33.034.7573.223324-6.4/ 136.5-7 Pakistan
    200526702005-10-08 21:45:12.034.6973.213319-5.8/ 95.5 Pakistan
    200526712005-10-08 22:04:30.034.8173.293319-5.5/ 64.5-5 Pakistan
    200526792005-10-09 04:58:58.034.9173.143312-5.5/ 84.5-5 Pakistan
    200526812005-10-09 07:09:20.034.6773.2133214.9/ 95.6/ 85 Pakistan
    200526822005-10-09 08:30:04.034.8873.213318-6.2/ 106-6.5 Pakistan
    200526962005-10-09 19:20:40.034.4973.683319-6.0/ 76 Pakistan
    Macroseismic manifestations
         The earthquake has been felt on a vast territories of Pakistan, India, Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Numerous victims are reported. ITAR TASS reports about more than 40000 people killed in Pakistan, a few villages have been totally destroyed near Muzaffarabad, significant destructions are observed in cities Muzaffarabad, Mansehra, Bagh, Rawalakot. Fig. 4 presents the map obtained from Internet site http://pasadena.wr.usgs.gov with macroseismic conditions of the region. Near 600 people have been killed in Indian Kashmir, including the states Jammu, Madhya-Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, New-Delhi, where people in panics run away from their houses. The earthquake was felt in Tajikistan: in Horog with intensity 5 MSK, in Dushanbe - 4 MSK, in Hudjand (Leninabad) - 3 MSK.

    Figure 4
    Historical records
         The earthquake on October 8, 2005 has fallen in the number of famous strong earthquakes of highly seismic active zone of Central Asia, this is the zone of intensive uplift under the pressure, which acts on the Eurasian plate as a result of Indian plate’s drift to the north. Indian Meteorological Agency mentions (http://www.imd.ernet.in) the following most significant earthquakes, which happened in this region on: May 30, 1885 with magnitude 7.0, on April 4, 1905 with magnitude 8.0 and in March 2002 with magnitudes 6.0 and 6.6 (fig.5). These epicenters are shown on the map of seismic activity of the region in accordance with data of GS RAS seismic bulletin for the period since 1955 until now. Epicenter of the crust earthquakes are shown in velvet color, epicenters with origin depths of 70 and more km are shown in blue, the main strike and aftershocks of the earthquake on October 8, are shown in green.

    Figure 5
    Focal mechanism and seismic moment of the earthquake
         Fig. 6 and 7 present focal mechanism solutions, which have been published on sites NEIC and obtained from data of National Center of Information about the Earthquakes of the US Geological Service (NEIC) and the data of Harvars Center USA (HARVARD). These solutions are shown in stereographical projection (low hemisphere, regions of compression waves are in dark color) and are described in table 2. Both solutions are almost the same. The earthquake 08.10.2005 has happened under the action of compression strength oriented to the South-West direction. Both nodal planes have North-Western spread direction. From NEIC and HARVARD one of the nodal planes NP1 has rather flat orientation (DP=29 and 39°), the other plane NP2 falls with steep angle (DP=72 и 57°). The type of motion along both planes – thrust with components of right side shift along flat plane NP1. The value of seismic moment Мо from NEIC makes 1.0* 10** 20 n*m, the value of moment magnitude - Mw = 7.3. The value of seismic moment Мо from Harvard makes 2.9* 10** 20 n*m, the value of moment magnitude - Mw = 7.6. The value of seismic moment Мо in IPC GS RAS was obtained with data from 3 stations OBN, KIV, ARU and makes 6.7* 10** 19 n*m, the value of moment magnitude - Mw = 7.2.
    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
    57424232 2213235829140124 7267NEIC
    6933810222 1912833339121116 5768HARVARD
  • NEIC - National Earthquakes Information Center of US Geological Service
  • HARVARD - Harvard Geophysical Center (USA)

    • Figure 6
    Figure 7


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