AN INVESTIGATION OF AHAR-VARZEGHAN SEISMICITY ON AUGUST 11, 2012 IN THE NORTH WEST OF TABRIZ, IRAN

Abstract

The Islamic Republic of Iran is situated in south-west Asia and covers an area of 1,648,000 square kilometers. Located in the active Alpine-Himalayan seismic belt that is an earthquake prone zone that has experienced many destructive earthquakes in the past due to its geographical state, climatic conditions and geological status Iran is an event ism country in the world. In this feld look at recent decades earthquakes statistics that reveal average once fve years has occurred an earthquake with high human and fnancial damages that has had long-term economical-social effects. This paper survey recent earthquake in the near of Tabriz in Iran. 0n the August 11, 2012 the northwest of Iran was shaken by two of the strong earthquakes. First was hit by 6.4 Mw at 16:54 local time (12:23 GMT), and about 11 minutes later, a 6.3 Mw struck 10 km to the west. Preliminary estimates placed, and the deaths were more than 330 persons and the number of injured persons was about 26,000 and overall, more than 50000 persons have been resettled. As many as 365 villages, out of total of 537 in the affected area, are heavily damaged (between 50% and 90%) and 46 villages are completely devastated. Successively Varzeghan-Ahar earthquakes are the cluster ones or “earthquake sequence”, and involved more than hundreds moderate and small temblors and are centered on Varzeghan area.