Magnitude 6.3 Earthquake on the coast of Balochistan Province, Pakistan.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 6.3 Earthquake at a depth of 25.9 km, roughly 20 km to the southwest of the city of Pasni in Balochistan Province, Pakistan, slightly after 3.00 am local time on Tuesday 7 February 2017 (slightly after 10.00 pm on Monday 8 February GMT). An event of this size is potentially very dangerous, and there were initial concerns that this event might lead to a large number of casualties, however there have only been reports of minor damage in this instance.

Damage in Pasni, Balochistan, following the 7 February 2017 Earthquake. AFP.

The geology of Balochistan is dominated by the Makran Fault System, or Makran Accretionary Wedge. The Arabian Plate is being subducted along the Makran Subduction Zone to the south of Balochistan, passing under the province, which sits on the southern Eurasian Plate, as it sinks into the Earth. The two plates do not move past one another smoothly, but continuously break apart and then stick together until the pressure builds up sufficiently to cause another break, leading to Earthquakes in the process. In addition to this the Eurasian Plate is scraping sedimentary material off the leading edge of the Arabian Plate as it is subducted, forming an accretionary prism of material over the subduction zone up to 7.5 km think in places. This takes the form of a series of parallel folded hill ranges running east to west across the province and Sistan & Baluchistan Province in neighbouring Iran.

 

 Plate boundaries and movements beneath southern Pakistan, Iran and the Arabian Sea. University of Southampton.

 

Witness accounts of Earthquakes can help geologists to understand these events, and the structures that cause them. The international non-profit organisation Earthquake Report is interested in hearing from people who may have felt this event; if you felt this quake then you can report it to Earthquake Report here.

 

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Magnitude 4.4 Earthquake in Balochistan Province, Pakistan.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 4.4 Earthquake at a depth of 33 km in the Kirthar Mountains of Balochistan Province, slightly after 1.10 am local time on Monday 28 July 2014 (slightly after 8.10 pm on Sunday 27 July, GMT). There are no reports of any damage or injuries associated with this quake, though it is likely to have been felt locally.

The approximate location of the 28 July 2014 Kirthar Mountains Earthquake. Google Maps.

The Kirthar Mountains lie on the boundary between the Indian Plate, to the southeast and the Eurasian Plate to the west. The Indian Plate is moving northwards at a rate of 5 cm per year, causing it to impact into Eurasia, which is also moving northward, but only at a rate of 2 cm per year. When two tectonic plates collide in this way and one or both are oceanic then one will be subducted beneath the other (if one of the plates is continental then the other will be subducted), but if both plates are continental then subduction will not fully occur, but instead the plates will crumple, leading to folding and uplift (and quite a lot of Earthquakes). The collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates has lead to the formation of the Kirthar Mountains as well as Himalayan Mountains, the Tibetan Plateau, and the mountains of southwest China, Central Asia and the Hindu Kush.

In addition to this the Arabian Plate is being subducted along the Makran Subduction Zone to the south of Balochistan, passing under the province, which sits on the southern Eurasian Plate, as it sinks into the Earth. The two plates do not move past one another smoothly, but continuously break apart and then stick together until the pressure builds up sufficiently to cause another break, leading to Earthquakes in the process. In addition to this the Eurasian Plate is scraping sedimentary material off the leading edge of the Arabian Plate as it is subducted, forming an accretionary prism of material over the subduction zone up to 7.5 km think in places. This takes the form of a series of parallel folded hill ranges running east to west across the province and Sistan & Baluchistan Province in neighbouring Iran.

Plate boundaries and movements beneath southern Pakistan and Iran and the Arabian Sea. University of Southampton.

See also...

 Magnitude 4.9 Earthquake in northeast Balochistan.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 4.9 Earthquake at a depth of 20.8 km in the northern Kirthar...

 Magnitude 5.3 Earthquake in eastern Balochistan Province, Pakistan.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 5.3 Earthquake at a depth of 10 km in the Kirthar Mountains of eastern...

 Magnitude 4.7 Earthquake in southern Balochistan.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 4.7 Earthquake at a depth of 15.6 km in southern Balochistan Province...

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Magnitude 5.6 Earthquake in northwest Sindh Province, Pakistan.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 5.6 Earthquake at a depth of 5.9 km roughly 45 km to the northwest of Nasirabad in northwest Sindh Province, Pakistan, slightly before 0.30 am local time on Friday 20 December 2013 (slightly before 7.30 pm on Thursday 19 December GMT). This is a large quake, in an area where few buildings are quakeproofed, and has the potential to be quite dangerous. There are no reports of any damage or casualties at the current time (roughly 4.30 hours after the event), but the United States Geological Survey estimate that there is a 35% chance of fatalities having occurred as a result of this quake.

The approximate location of the 20 December 2013 Sindh Earthquake. Google Maps.

The quake occurred slightly to the east of the boundary between the Indian Plate, to the southeast and the Eurasian Plate to the west. The Indian Plate is moving northwards at a rate of 5 cm per year, causing it to impact into Eurasia, which is also moving northward, but only at a rate of 2 cm per year. When two tectonic plates collide in this way and one or both are oceanic then one will be subducted beneath the other (if one of the plates is continental then the other will be subducted), but if both plates are continental then subduction will not fully occur, but instead the plates will crumple, leading to folding and uplift (and quite a lot of Earthquakes). The collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates has lead to the formation of the Kirthar Mountains as well as Himalayan Mountains, the Tibetan Plateau, and the mountains of southwest China, Central Asia and the Hindu Kush.

In addition to this the Arabian Plate is being subducted along the Makran Subduction Zone to the south of Balochistan, passing under the province, which sits on the southern Eurasian Plate, as it sinks into the Earth. The two plates do not move past one another smoothly, but continuously break apart and then stick together until the pressure builds up sufficiently to cause another break, leading to Earthquakes in the process. In addition to this the Eurasian Plate is scraping sedimentary material off the leading edge of the Arabian Plate as it is subducted, forming an accretionary prism of material over the subduction zone up to 7.5 km think in places. This takes the form of a series of parallel folded hill ranges running east to west across the province and Sistan & Baluchistan Province in neighbouring Iran.

See also Magnitude 4.9 Earthquake in northeast Balochistan, Magnitude 5.3 Earthquake in eastern Balochistan Province, Pakistan, Magnitude 4.7 Earthquake in southern Balochistan, Magnitude 4.0 Earthquake in southeast Balochistan and Magnitude 7.7 Earthquake in Balochistan; over 350 dead and new island created.

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Magnitude 4.9 Earthquake in northeast Balochistan.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 4.9 Earthquake at a depth of 20.8 km in the northern Kirthar Mountains of eastern Balochistan Province, Pakistan, slightly after 3.40 pm local time (slightly after 10.40 am GMT) on Friday 15 November 2013. The quake is reported to have caused considerable alarm, but there are no reports of any damage or casualties.

The approximate location of the 15 November 2013 Balochistan Earthquake. Google Maps.

The Kirthar Mountains lie on the boundary between the Indian Plate, to the southeast and the Eurasian Plate to the west. The Indian Plate is moving northwards at a rate of 5 cm per year, causing it to impact into Eurasia, which is also moving northward, but only at a rate of 2 cm per year. When two tectonic plates collide in this way and one or both are oceanic then one will be subducted beneath the other (if one of the plates is continental then the other will be subducted), but if both plates are continental then subduction will not fully occur, but instead the plates will crumple, leading to folding and uplift (and quite a lot of Earthquakes). The collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates has lead to the formation of the Kirthar Mountains as well as Himalayan Mountains, the Tibetan Plateau, and the mountains of southwest China, Central Asia and the Hindu Kush.

In addition to this the Arabian Plate is being subducted along the Makran Subduction Zone to the south of Balochistan, passing under the province, which sits on the southern Eurasian Plate, as it sinks into the Earth. The two plates do not move past one another smoothly, but continuously break apart and then stick together until the pressure builds up sufficiently to cause another break, leading to Earthquakes in the process. In addition to this the Eurasian Plate is scraping sedimentary material off the leading edge of the Arabian Plate as it is subducted, forming an accretionary prism of material over the subduction zone up to 7.5 km think in places. This takes the form of a series of parallel folded hill ranges running east to west across the province and Sistan & Baluchistan Province in neighbouring Iran.

See also Magnitude 5.3 Earthquake in eastern Balochistan Province, Pakistan, Magnitude 4.7 Earthquake in southern Balochistan, Magnitude 4.0 Earthquake in southeast Balochistan, Magnitude 7.7 Earthquake in Balochistan; over 350 dead and new island created and At least 12 fatalities after a Magnitude 5.6 Earthquake in eastern Afghanistan.

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Magnitude 5.3 Earthquake in eastern Balochistan Province, Pakistan.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 5.3 Earthquake at a depth of 10 km in the Kirthar Mountains of eastern Balochistan Province, Pakistan, roughly 34 km southeast of the city of Surab, slightly before 6.20 pm local time (slightly before 1.20 pm GMT) on Friday 18 October 2013. There are no reports of any damage or casualties arising from this event, though it was reportedly felt across much of Balochistan and Sind Provinces.

The approximate location of the 18 October 2013 Kirthar Mountains Earthquake. Google Maps.

The Kirthar Mountains lie on the boundary between the Indian Plate, to the southeast and the Eurasian Plate to the west. The Indian Plate is moving northwards at a rate of 5 cm per year, causing it to impact into Eurasia, which is also moving northward, but only at a rate of 2 cm per year. When two tectonic plates collide in this way and one or both are oceanic then one will be subducted beneath the other (if one of the plates is continental then the other will be subducted), but if both plates are continental then subduction will not fully occur, but instead the plates will crumple, leading to folding and uplift (and quite a lot of Earthquakes). The collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates has lead to the formation of the Kirthar Mountains as well as Himalayan Mountains, the Tibetan Plateau, and the mountains of southwest China, Central Asia and the Hindu Kush.

In addition to this the Arabian Plate is being subducted along the Makran Subduction Zone to the south of Balochistan, passing under the province, which sits on the southern Eurasian Plate, as it sinks into the Earth. The two plates do not move past one another smoothly, but continuously break apart and then stick together until the pressure builds up sufficiently to cause another break, leading to Earthquakes in the process. In addition to this the Eurasian Plate is scraping sedimentary material off the leading edge of the Arabian Plate as it is subducted, forming an accretionary prism of material over the subduction zone up to 7.5 km think in places. This takes the form of a series of parallel folded hill ranges running east to west across the province and Sistan & Baluchistan Province in neighbouring Iran.

See also Magnitude 4.7 Earthquake in southern Balochistan, Magnitude 4.0 Earthquake in southeast Balochistan, Magnitude 7.7 Earthquake in Balochistan; over 350 dead and new island created, At least 12 fatalities after a Magnitude 5.6 Earthquake in eastern Afghanistan and Magnitude 7.8 Earthquake in southeast Iran; high level of casualties expected.

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Magnitude 4.7 Earthquake in southern Balochistan.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 4.7 Earthquake at a depth of 15.6 km in southern Balochistan Province, southwest Pakistan, slightly after 6.10 pm local time (slightly after 1.10 pm GMT) on Friday 18 October 2013. There are no reports of any damage or injuries arising from this quake, though it was felt across much of the province, and caused brief outbreaks of panic in several areas.

The approximate location of the 18 October 2013 Balochistan Earthquake. Google Maps.

The geology of Balochistan is dominated by the Makran Fault System, or Makran Accretionary Wedge. The Arabian Plate is being subducted along the Makran Subduction Zone to the south of Balochistan, passing under the province, which sits on the southern Eurasian Plate, as it sinks into the Earth. The two plates do not move past one another smoothly, but continuously break apart and then stick together until the pressure builds up sufficiently to cause another break, leading to Earthquakes in the process. In addition to this the Eurasian Plate is scraping sedimentary material off the leading edge of the Arabian Plate as it is subducted, forming an accretionary prism of material over the subduction zone up to 7.5 km think in places. This takes the form of a series of parallel folded hill ranges running east to west across the province and Sistan & Baluchistan Province in neighbouring Iran.

See also Magnitude 4.0 Earthquake in southeast Balochistan, Magnitude 7.7 Earthquake in Balochistan; over 350 dead and new island created, Magnitude 7.8 Earthquake in southeast Iran; high level of casualties expected and Earthquake near Karachi.

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Magnitude 4.0 Earthquake in southeast Balochistan.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 4.0 Earthquake at a depth of 10 km in southeast Balochistan Province, Pakistan, slightly before 6.25 pm local time (slightly before 1.25 pm GMT) on Sunday 6 October 2013. There are no reports of any damage or casualties arising from this quake, although it is likely to have been felt locally.

The approximate location of the 6 October 2013 Balochistan Earthquake. Google Maps.

The quake occurred on the Makran Fault, along which the Arabian Plate to the south is being subducted beneath the Eurasian Plate to the north. The Arabian Plate is being pushed northward by the movement of the African Plate to the south, as well as expansion beneath the Red Sea caused by the formation of new oceanic crust. To the west the continental portion of the Arabian Plate is in contact with the Eurasian Plate, causing folding and uplift that is leading to the formation of the Zagros Mountains. In the east oceanic crust attached to the Arabian Plate is being subducted beneath the Eurasian Plate, causing uplift on the Iranian Plateau, which underlies Baluchistan, eastern Iran and the southwest of Afghanistan. This subduction is not a smooth process, with the rocks constantly sticking together then breaking apart as the pressure builds up.

See also Magnitude 7.7 Earthquake in Balochistan; over 350 dead and new island created, At least 12 fatalities after a Magnitude 5.6 Earthquake in eastern Afghanistan, Magnitude 7.8 Earthquake in southeast Iran; high level of casualties expected, Magnitude 6.3 Earthquake in southern Iran kills at least 32 and Two major Earthquakes in northeast Iran, leading to heavy death toll.

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Magnitude 7.7 Earthquake in Balochistan; over 350 dead and new island created.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 7.7 Earthquake at a depth of 15 km in Baluchistan Province in southeast Pakistan, slightly before 4.30 pm local time (slightly before 11.20 am GMT) on Tuesday 24 September 2013. This is an extremely large and dangerous Earthquake, and was felt as far away as New Delhi and Dubai. Over 350 casualties have been recorded already, a number which is likely to rise sharply, and buildings have been destroyed across Arawan District, where the quake occurred. Villages close to the epicenter are said to have had around 90% of homes destroyed; building collapses are a particular danger in Baluchistan as many buildings are made of mud bricks, which can liquify in Earthquakes forming a fine dust which asphyxiates people trapped beneath fallen structures. There have been a number of aftershocks in the area, several of which have been Earthquakes in excess of Magnitude 5.

Villagers in Labach in Arawan District forced to sleep outside following the destruction of their homes by the 24 September 2013 Earthquake. Arshad Butt/AP.

The quake also lead to the formation of a new island off the coast of Gwadar, roughly 400 km to the southwest of the event's epicenter. This is roughly 18 m high and covers an area of approximately 30 by 76 m. Earthquakes on thrust belts can form hills and islands by forcing rock formations up over other rocks (this is how most mountains are formed, though not by single events), but on this occasion the new island is thought to be the result of a mud volcano, according to geologists from the Pakistan Navy. Mud volcanoes are not true volcanoes (caused by hot magma from deep within the Earth) but are the result of liquids or gasses being released suddenly from rocks into soft sediments, resulting in dramatic upwelling of mud and gas. In this gas the new island has been found to be venting methane in a number of places, leading to the conclusion that a sudden change of pressure caused methane ice buried in the mud to thaw, causing it to expand rapidly and raise sediment to form the new island. Frozen methane in marine sediments is quite common, as the gas freezes at quite high temperatures under pressure. Mud volcanoes are a fairly common occurrence in Baluchistan, though where they occur offshore, as is the case with this one, they are often eroded away by the sea fairly quickly.

Residents of Gwadar investigating the new island on 25 September 2013. Behram Balochi/AFP/Getty Images.

The quake occurred directly on the Makran Fault, along which the Arabian Plate to the south is being subducted beneath the Eurasian Plate to the north. The Arabian Plate is being pushed northward by the movement of the African Plate to the south, as well as expansion beneath the Red Sea caused by the formation of new oceanic crust. To the west the continental portion of the Arabian Plate is in contact with the Eurasian Plate, causing folding and uplift that is leading to the formation of the Zagros Mountains. In the east oceanic crust attached to the Arabian Plate is being subducted beneath the Eurasian Plate, causing uplift on the Iranian Plateau, which underlies Baluchistan, eastern Iran and the southwest of Afghanistan. This subduction is not a smooth process, with the rocks constantly sticking together then breaking apart as the pressure builds up. 

The approximate location of the 25 September 2013 Baluchistan Earthquake. Google Maps.

See also Magnitude 4.5 Earthquake in the Zagros Mountains of western Iran, Magnitude 4.8 Earthquake in the Zagros Mountains of western Iran, Magnitude 4.1 Earthquake in western Iran, Magnitude 4.5 Earthquake in southern Fars Province, Iran and At least 12 fatalities after a Magnitude 5.6 Earthquake in eastern Afghanistan.

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