Top 10 Countries that are most prone to Earthquakes

A earthquake is the perceptible shaking of the surface of the Earth, resulting

from the sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic
waves. It is among the most deadly natural hazards and frequently leads to
surface faulting, tremors vibration, liquefaction, landslides, aftershocks and/or
tsunamis. If we look at the pattern of where earthquakes occur around the world,
it is clear that most of the earthquake activity is concentrated in a number of
distinct earthquake belts. Earthquakes aren't predictable in terms of when they
strike, but some areas are more likely to be hit. A map of the world's earthquakes
shows that most of them lie in narrow zones, often around the edges of the
continents, or in the middle of the oceans. The world is divided into seismic
zones based on the tectonic plates and the magnitude of earthquakes. Heres a
list of 10 most earthquakes vulnerable countries in the world:
10. Indonesia
Few Countries are as vulnerable to earthquake damage as Indonesia. The capital
of Indonesia, Jakarta, sits in a precarious position. It is not only situated atop the
Pacific Ring of Fire, but also, a little less than half of the city is below sea level,
putting it on soft soil that has the potential to liquefy if an earthquake of
sufficient magnitude were to strike. But the complications do not end there. Its
elevation also places Jakarta at risk for severe flooding. The 2004 Indian Ocean
earthquake occurred 26 December with the epicentre off the west coast
of Sumatra, Indonesia. The undersea megathrust earthquake was caused when
the Indian Plate was subducted by the Burma Plate and triggered a series of
devastating tsunamis along the coasts of most landmasses bordering the Indian
Ocean, killing 230,000 people in 14 countries, and submerging coastal
communities with waves up to 30 metres (100 ft) high. Indonesia was the worst
affected area, with most death toll estimates at around 170,000. It is the thirdlargest earthquake ever recorded on a seismograph.
9. Turkey
Turkey falls within the seismic zone between Arabian, Eurasian and African plates. Its very
geographic location implies that an earthquake can hit the country at any point of time. Turkey has
had a long history of large earthquakes that often occur in progressive adjacent earthquakes. The
magnitude 7.6 earthquake that struck western Turkey on August 17, 1999 occurred on one of the
world's longest and best studied strike-slip (horizontal motion) faults: the east-west trending North
Anatolian fault. The event lasted for just 37 seconds, and killed around 17,000 people. Over 50,000
people were injured and over 5,00,000 people were rendered homeless, making it one of the most
devastating earthquakes of the 20th century.
8 Mexico
Mexico is another earthquake prone country, which has faced several earthquakes of high magnitudes
in the past .Situated atop three of the large tectonic plates, namely, Cocos plate, Pacific plate and the

North American plate, that constitute the earth's surface, Mexico is one of the most seismologically
active regions on earth. The motion of these plates causes earthquakes and volcanic activity. Mexico
has a long history of destructive earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. In September 1985, an
earthquake measuring 8.1 on the Richter scale and centered in the subduction zone
off Acapulco killed more than 4,000 people in Mexico City, more than 300 kilometers away. The
more recent 2014 Guerrero earthquake occurred with a moment magnitude of 7.2 that hit the state
of Guerrero leading to many casualties in the area.
7. El Salvador
El Salvador is another earthquake prone country, and has suffered immense damage due to quakes in
the region. The small Central American republic of El Salvador has experienced, on average, one
destructive earthquake per decade during the last hundred years. Two major earthquakes occurred on
13 January and 13 February 2001, with magnitudes Mw 7.7 and Mw 6.6 respectively. The two events,
which were of different tectonic origin, follow the patterns of the seismicity of the region although
neither event has a known precedent in the earthquake catalogue in terms of size and location. The
earthquakes caused damage to thousands of traditionally built houses and triggered hundreds of
landslides, which were the main causes of fatalities. The earthquakes have clearly demonstrated trends
of increasing seismic risk in El Salvador due to rapid population expansion in areas of high shaking
and landslide hazard, aggravated by deforestation and uncontrolled urbanisation. The institutional
mechanisms required for the control of land use and building practice are very weak and present a
major obstacle to risk mitigation
6. Pakistan
Another earthquake prone country is Pakistan, which is geologically located in the Indus-Tsangpo
Suture Zone, which is roughly 200 km north of the Himalaya Front and is defined by an exposed
ophiolite chain along its southern margin. This region has the highest rates of seismicity and largest
earthquakes in the Himalaya region, caused mainly by movement on thrust faults. The magnitude 7.6
quake that struck the Kashmir region of Pakistan in October 2005 killed more than 73,000 people,
many in remote parts of the country, not dense urban centers like Islamabad. More recently, in
September 2013, a powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.7 Richter scale had killed at least 825 people
while injuring hundreds of others, causing immense damage to life and property.
5. Philippines
Philippines lies on the edge of the Pacific plate, which is traditionally a seismic hot zone that encircles
the state. The danger posed by earthquakes to Manila is threefold. It is, of course, snug with the
Pacific Ring of Fire, making it especially susceptible not only to quakes, but also to volcanic
eruptions. The threat to Manila is worsened due to its soft soil, which presents the risk of ground
liquefaction. On October 15, 2013, an earthquake of magnitude 7.1 Richter scale had struck central
Philippines. According to official reports by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
Council (NDRRMC), 222 were reported dead, 8 were missing, and 976 people were injured. In all,
more than 73,000 structures were damaged, of which more than 14,500 were totally destroyed. It was
the deadliest earthquake in the Philippines in 23 years. The energy released by the quake was
equivalent to 32 Hiroshima bombs.
4. Ecuador

Ecuador has several active volcanoes making the country an extremely dangerous site for highmagnitude quakes and tremors. The country lies within the seismic zone between the South American
plate and the Nazca plate. Earthquakes that affect Ecuador can be divided into those that result from
movement on the subduction interface along the plate boundary, those that result from deformation
within the South American and Nazca Plates and those that are associated with active volcanoes. On
August 12, 2014, an Earthquake of 5.1 magnitude on the Richter scale had rattled Quito, which was
followed by an aftershock of 4.3 magnitude. 2 people were reported dead and 8 were injured.
3. India
India has also experienced a series of some deadly earthquakes due to the movement of the Indian
tectonic plate at the rate of 47 mm every year. Due to the movement of tectonic plates, India is prone
to Earthquakes. India has been divided into five zones on the basis of peak ground accelerations. On
December 26, 2004, in the third deadliest earthquake in the history of the world, the tsunami
generated killed 15,000 people in India. The 2001 Gujarat earthquake occurred on 26 January, India's
52nd Republic Day. It lasted for lasted for over 2 minutes and reached 7.7 on the moment magnitude
scale killing between 13,805 and 20,023 people, injuring another 167,000 and destroying nearly
400,000 homes.
2. Nepal
If estimates are to be believed, a citizen in Nepal is more likely to be killed by an earthquake as
compared to any civilian in the world. Nepal is a disaster prone country. Floods, landslides, epidemics
and fires cause considerable loss of life and property in Nepal every year. It is one of the most
seismically active regions in the world and one has to look at the Himalayas to understand that. The
mountains are being built as a consequence of the Indian tectonic plate driving under Central Asia.
These two great slabs of the Earth's crust are converging at a relative rate of about 4-5cm (two inches)
a year. The upward climb of Everest and its sister mountains is accompanied by numerous tremors.
Moreover, the remnants of a prehistoric lake, a 300 meter-deep layer of black clay, lies underneath the
Kathmandu Valley. This augments the damage caused by severe earthquakes. Therefore, the region is
susceptible to soil liquefaction. During strong quakes the solid ground turns into something like
quicksand, swallowing everything above the ground. The April 2015 Nepal earthquake killed over
8,000 people and injured more than 21,000. The earthquake triggered an avalanche on Mount Everest,
killing 21, making April 25, 2015 the deadliest day on the mountain in history.
1. Japan
Japan tops the list of the earthquake prone areas. Japan's physical geography and its location along
the Pacific Ring of Fire makes the nation highly susceptible to earthquakes and tsunamis. The Ring of
Fire is a tectonic plate in the Pacific Basin that is responsible for 90% of the worlds earthquakes and
81% of the worlds strongest quakes. On top of its prolific tectonic activity, Japan is also home to 452
volcanoes, making it the most disruptive geographic location in terms of natural catastrophes. The
megathrust earthquake that hit Japan on March 11, 2011, was the strongest to hit Japan and one of
the top five largest earthquakes in the world since seismological record-keeping began. It was
followed by a tsunami with waves of up to 10 m (33 ft). The disaster left thousands dead and inflicted
extensive material damage to buildings and infrastructure that led to significant accidents at four
major nuclear power stations.