November 7, 2019 Earthquake: Miyaneh, Iran

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Tectonic Summary

The November 7, 2019, M 5.9 earthquake near Sarab, Iran, occurred as the result of strike-slip faulting in the shallow crust of the Eurasia plate, approximately 250 km to the northeast of the (somewhat diffuse) plate boundary between the Arabia and Eurasia plates. On a broad scale, the seismotectonics of the region near this earthquake are controlled by the collision of these plates. At the location of this event, the Arabia plate converges with Eurasia in a northerly direction at a rate of approximately 27 mm/yr.

North and west of the November 7, 2019, earthquake, tectonics are dominated by both collision and strike-slip faulting in the northern Zagros (Iran) and Bitlis suture zone (eastern Turkey), with strike slip faulting organizing further west onto the East (in southern Turkey) and North (in northern Turkey) Anatolian fault zones. These large, translational fault systems extend across much of central and western Turkey and accommodate the western motion of the Anatolian block as it is being squeezed by the converging Arabia and Eurasia plates. Tectonics east of the November 7, 2019, earthquake are dominated by convergence across the Alborz Mountains of north-central Iran. The November 7, 2019, earthquake occurred in a region of oblique convergence beyond the eastern extent of Anatolian strike-slip tectonics. The focal mechanism solution of this earthquake shows predominantly strike-slip motion but is consistent with the oblique nature of faulting in the surrounding region. Past earthquakes in the vicinity of this event also demonstrate strike-slip focal mechanism solutions

Moderate-to-large earthquakes occur regularly in eastern Turkey and northwest Iran. Six other M6+ events have occurred within 250 km of the November 7, 2019 earthquake over the preceding 40 years. The largest of these was a M 7.4 earthquake in June, 1990, about 190 km to the southeast of todays event. The 1990 event caused close to 50,000 fatalities, and extensive damage throughout the region. A pair of M 6.4 and M 6.2 events on August 11, 2012, 90 km to the northwest of the November 7, 2019 earthquake, resulted in over 300 fatalities and heavy damage in the epicentral region.

Ref #12547:

The earthquake has killed five and injured 584, who mostly received outpatient services, according to officials. Sixty-six people were injured due to the destruction of their homes and 518 others due to panic or rushing to the exits. The Red Crescent provided emergency shelter to 1,100 households in the seven most affected villages. The worst damage is reported in Varnakesh village with 40 demolished houses. This earthquake was felt in the six towns of East Azerbaijan province, including Miyaneh, Tark, Sarab, Turkman Chay, Bostan Abad, Hashtrood, and 145 villages[...]The earthquake killed 200 livestock. It also cut the power of 7,000 people in Sarab county, which was reconnected immediately.