SaralnamaWhat causes shallow earthquakes to be more destructive than deep ones? Where do they occur? When do they happen? Shallow earthquakes strike close to Earth's surface, usually at depths of 0-70 km. They release energy near the ground, causing stronger shaking and more damage to buildings. Deep quakes lose energy as it travels through rock layers. Afghanistan, sitting in an active seismic zone, faces both types. The Hindu Kush mountains see quakes up to 200 km deep. But along the Sulaiman Range, shallow quakes hit closer to the surface. On 25 Jun 2023, a magnitude 6 quake struck eastern Afghanistan at 8 km depth, killing over 800 people. Earthquakes happen when tectonic plates suddenly move, releasing built-up stress along fault lines. (Updated 1 Sep 2025, 21:16 IST; source: link)
Key Points
- What causes shallow earthquakes to be more destructive than deep ones
- Where do they occur
- When do they happen