2005 Qeshm Earthquake

The 2005 Qeshm earthquake was a powerful earthquake that occurred on November 27, 2005, at 13:52 local time (10:22 UTC) just west of a sparsely populated area of Qeshm Island off of Southern Iran. The earthquake was the second powerful one in Iran that occurred in 2005, following the Zarand earthquake in February. It killed 13 people and devastated 13 villages. The epicenter was about 1,500 kilometers (932 mi) south of Tehran in the Persian Gulf, close to the southern reaches of Iran, and measurements showed that the earthquake was about 6.0 on the moment magnitude scale. Over 400 minor aftershocks followed the main quake, 36 of which were greater than magnitude 2.5.

Because the earthquake occurred in a remote area during the middle of the day, it did not not cause many fatalities. Iranian relief efforts in the aftermath were effective and largely sufficient, leading Iran to decline offers of support from other nations and UNICEF.

Qeshm Island is an extension of the Zagros seismic area, sharing many characteristics with the highly active region, and is cut by at least two faults. The earthquake was a result of reverse slip faulting (which shortens and thickens the crust), and it created cracks in the nearby Ramkan syncline (a type of fold in the land). As it lies in such a seismically active area, Iran is at a high risk from destructive earthquakes. With 1 in 3,000 deaths in Iran attributable to earthquakes, one geophysicist has suggested that a country-wide rebuilding program will be needed to address the ongoing public safety concerns.