WORLD’S LARGEST EARTHQUAKES IN 2005

Abstract

Every year, the Earth is shaken by several hundred thousand earthquakes with magnitudes over 2.0 (Dolgoff, 1998), mostly originating at the geotectonic plate boundaries. Two well-defined seismic belts, the circum-Pacific and the Mediterranean-Himalayan belts, are subject to the most frequent earthquake shocks. The latter also includes the region of Slovenia. Most earthquakes are weak and do not cause any material damage or claim human lives. However, there are also earthquakes that result in extreme destruction and even death. There were 78 earthquakes in 2005 that reached a magnitude of 6.5 or more, or caused minor or major material damage, or even claimed human lives. Forty-four of them are mentioned. The most devastating earthquake in 2005 happened on 8 October in Pakistan, where at least 87,351 people were killed. The 28 March earthquake near Northern Sumatra, Indonesia, ranks first in terms of released energy, with a moment magnitude of 8.7 and claimed at least 1,313 human lives. The deepest earthquake happened on 21 March in Salta, Argentina, with a hypocentre 579 km below the surface and the moment magnitude of 6.9. Another very deep earthquake (563 km below the surface) happened on 5 February in the Celebes Sea (Mw=7.1). In 2005, earthquakes claimed more than 89,353 human lives.