Earthquake Of Magnitude 5.1 Hits Iran, Sparks Theories Of Nuclear Testing
On Friday, June 20th, a powerful earthquake of 5.1 magnitude struck northern Iran's Semnan area. According to Tasnim News Agency, the earthquake happened 27 kilometres southwest of Semnan. The quake struck at a depth of 10 kilometres.
However, the earthquake has now triggered a wave of speculations about whether Tehran has tested a nuclear weapon. It has also sparked concern because it struck near a city with a space and missile complex. The Semnan Space Center and the Semnan Missile Complex, run by Iran's military, are said to be located there.
The earthquake comes amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, as they enter the ninth day of the escalating war. Iran and Israel exchanged fresh attacks early on Saturday, a day after Tehran said it would not negotiate over its nuclear programme while under threat and Europe tried to keep peace talks alive.
Iran's news agency IRNA said that there were no casualties and only "minimal damage". The conflict-ridden country is one of the most seismically active countries in the world because of its position along the Alpine-Himalayan seismic belt where the Arabian and Eurasian tectonic plates converge.
Iran typically receives 2,100 earthquakes a year, of which 15 to 16 are of magnitude 5.0 or higher. Between 2006 and 2015, the country experienced 96,000 earthquakes.
Underground explosions during nuclear activities can trigger earthquakes by releasing tectonic stress near the blast. However, seismologists can distinguish between explosions and natural earthquakes by studying the seismic waves. Seismic data suggests that the earthquake was a natural event.
According to India Today, expert analysis by US Geological Survey (USGS) and Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO) and independent seismologists dismiss speculation about nuclear tests or military induced earthquakes.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
2 hours ago
- India Today
Exclusive: Chandrababu Naidu backs PM Modi's Yoga message, calls for global peace
In an exclusive interaction with India Today, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu endorsed Prime Minister Modi's message on Yoga, saying it can bring peace to the world by reducing violence. He noted that people in Visakhapatnam are increasingly incorporating yoga into their daily lives. On the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict, Naidu stressed that war is not the solution and emphasised the need for dialogue and peace.
NDTV
5 hours ago
- NDTV
Earthquake Of Magnitude 5.1 Hits Iran, Sparks Theories Of Nuclear Testing
On Friday, June 20th, a powerful earthquake of 5.1 magnitude struck northern Iran's Semnan area. According to Tasnim News Agency, the earthquake happened 27 kilometres southwest of Semnan. The quake struck at a depth of 10 kilometres. However, the earthquake has now triggered a wave of speculations about whether Tehran has tested a nuclear weapon. It has also sparked concern because it struck near a city with a space and missile complex. The Semnan Space Center and the Semnan Missile Complex, run by Iran's military, are said to be located there. The earthquake comes amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, as they enter the ninth day of the escalating war. Iran and Israel exchanged fresh attacks early on Saturday, a day after Tehran said it would not negotiate over its nuclear programme while under threat and Europe tried to keep peace talks alive. Iran's news agency IRNA said that there were no casualties and only "minimal damage". The conflict-ridden country is one of the most seismically active countries in the world because of its position along the Alpine-Himalayan seismic belt where the Arabian and Eurasian tectonic plates converge. Iran typically receives 2,100 earthquakes a year, of which 15 to 16 are of magnitude 5.0 or higher. Between 2006 and 2015, the country experienced 96,000 earthquakes. Underground explosions during nuclear activities can trigger earthquakes by releasing tectonic stress near the blast. However, seismologists can distinguish between explosions and natural earthquakes by studying the seismic waves. Seismic data suggests that the earthquake was a natural event. According to India Today, expert analysis by US Geological Survey (USGS) and Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO) and independent seismologists dismiss speculation about nuclear tests or military induced earthquakes.
India Today
6 hours ago
- India Today
Twin quakes shake Iran amid Israel conflict. Is there link to nuclear activities?
Iran has been hit by two back-to-back earthquakes even as tension between the Islamic nation and Israel remains at its peak. An earthquake of 5.1 magnitude struck northern Iran on Friday at 9.19 pm local time. This happened only five days after a 2.5 magnitude quake was reported near Fordo after Israeli quake happened approximately 36 km southwest of Semnan at a depth of 10 km, with tremors felt in Tehran and other nearby regions. The timing of these quakes and recent satellite imagery showing damage at Iran's nuclear sites in Natanz and Fordo amid Israel's fierce attacks, have fuelled speculation regarding a potential AND ITS SEISMOLOGIC HISTORYIran is highly active seismically due to its position on the Alpine-Himalayan seismic belt, and thus, experiences frequent earthquakes, with over 2,000 annually, including 15 to 16 of magnitude 5.0 or higher. A long-term analysis of a decade between 2006 and 2015, showed 96,000 earthquakes were recorded in the country during the period. The ongoing conflict with Israel, which started on June 13, involves Israeli airstrikes targeting Iran's nuclear and military infrastructure, including sites such as Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordo, alongside Tehran's missile retaliations. The quake's shallow depth of 10 km and proximity to Semnan's space and missile complex sparked speculation, but seismic data suggests it was a natural ON NATURAL, NUCLEAR-INDUCTED QUAKES Nuclear activities, particularly underground nuclear explosions, can induce earthquakes by releasing tectonic stress near the blast. According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), such explosions can trigger seismic events, but these are typically much smaller in magnitude than the explosion itself and are limited to a range of a few tens of kilometres from the blast site. The quakes are generally less intense and have fewer aftershocks than natural can distinguish these events by analysing wave patterns, with nuclear explosions producing mainly P-waves. Natural earthquakes generate both P and S-waves. Also, the seismic waves generated by nuclear explosions differ from those of natural Berkeley Seismology Lab explains that nuclear test seismograms are dominated by compressional P-waves, while natural earthquakes generate strong shear S-waves as well. This distinction allows seismologists to differentiate between the two, using methods such as moment tensor solutions, as described by the National Geographic, which trace waves back to their origin to identify the mechanism of the earthquakes with a 2.5-magnitude event near Fordo on June 15, coincided with military actions, but expert analysis, including those from the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), confirmed they align with natural QUAKE THEORY IN INDO-PAK CONFLICTDuring India-Pakistan's four-day conflict in May, similar tremors were felt in Pakistan. Even then, a theory of atomic activity surfaced but was debunked by India Today after analysing the facts logically based on seismographic evidence and these scientific explanations in mind, it can be conclusively said that while nuclear activities, especially explosions, can cause small, localised earthquakes, the latest seismic events in Iran near nuclear facilities are consistent with natural tectonic activity, given the region's high seismic analysis, including from CTBTO, USGS, and independent seismologists, supports this conclusion, dismissing speculation about nuclear tests or military-induced quakes. The evidence leans toward natural causes, but ongoing monitoring and further research are essential, especially in conflict zones where speculation runs faster than the earthquake InMust Watch IN THIS STORY#Israel#Iran
