TEHRAN A total of 136 earthquakes were recorded across the country from March 1 to 7, according to the seismological networks of the Institute of Geophysics of the University of Tehran.Statistically, 116 earthquakes with magnitudes smaller sized than 3; 15 earthquakes with magnitudes in between 3 and 4; four earthquakes with magnitude between 4 and 5; and one earthquake with magnitude in between 5 and 6 have actually taken place in the country, IRNA reported.Of the overall quakes, one had a magnitude of 5.2 on the Richter scale, which occurred on March 3 in Iranshahr, Sistan-Baluchestan province.Among the provinces of the nation, Kermanshah, with 22, experienced the highest variety of earthquakes, followed by Khorasan Razavi with 15, and Kean with 13 earthquakes.During the same period, no earthquakes were taped in East Azarbaijan, West Azarbaijan, Ardabil, Alborz, Znjan, Qzvin, snnd Kohgiluyeh-Boyerahmad provinces.An overall of 6,949 earthquakes were tape-recorded across the nation over the past fiscal year (March 2023 March 2024), according to the Seismological networks of the Institute of Geophysics of the University of Tehran.Most of the earthquakes occurred respectively in the north-eastern Khorasan Razavi, south-eastern Kerman, north-western West Azarbaijan, and eastern South Khorasan provinces, ISNA reported.Statistically, 2,268 earthquakes were less than 2 on the Richter scale; 3,685 were in between 2 and 3; 796 were in between 3 and 4; 181 were between 4 and 5; 22 were between 5 and 6; and 5 were in between 6 and 7.
The Iranian plateau is located in a very seismically active area of the world and is known not only for its major catastrophic earthquakes however likewise for the catastrophes relating to natural threats, especially earthquakes.About 2 percent of the earthquakes worldwide occur in Iran, however more than 6% of the victims of the world earthquakes throughout the 20th century are reported from Iranian earthquakes.This shows the high level of vulnerability in Iran, according to Mehdi Zare, a teacher of engineering seismology.Iran has gone into a years of earthquakes considering that the [Iranian calendar] year 1396 (March 2017- March 2018), as the Iranian plateau is shrinking by 30 millimetres per year, Mehdi Zare, teacher of engineering seismology at the International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology (IIEES), has said.The Strait of Hormuz region in the south of Iran has the highest seismic activity in the region, and its development is related to the continuation of the convergent motion in between the Arabian plate and the main continental plate of Iran.Tehran is also one of the most hazardous metropolitan areas in the world in regards to the danger of various natural disasters, such as earthquakes, floods, subsidence, dry spell, landslides, fire following an earthquake, etc.On the other hand, Tehran has a night-time population of over 8,300,000, with a mix of old non-resistant structures in addition to contemporary high-rise buildings that impact the vulnerability of this city.MT/ MG