Iraq records 80 earthquakes in one month
Iraq records 80 earthquakes in one month
2025-11-02 05:20
Shafaq News – Baghdad
The General Authority for Meteorology and Seismic Monitoring announced on Sunday that 80 earthquakes were recorded during the month of October 2025, inside Iraq and in the surrounding areas.
Ali Abdul Khaliq, director of the Seismic Monitoring Department, explained in a statement received by Shafaq News Agency that “the number of earthquakes recorded during October reached 80 earthquakes, including 30 earthquakes inside Iraq and 50 earthquakes outside its borders or near them.”
He added that “26 tremors were recorded inside Iranian territory in the regions of Kermanshah, Kurdistan, Azerbaijan, Khuzestan, Lorestan and others, while 21 tremors were recorded inside Turkey in the regions of Van, Bitlis, Şırnak, Hakkari, Siirt near the Iraqi border, in addition to 3 tremors in Syria in Hasakah.”
Abdul Khaliq pointed out that “the strength of the tremors ranged between (1 – 4.3) degrees on the Richter scale, and with focal depths ranging between 5 and 39 kilometers,” explaining that “the seismic activity inside Iraq was concentrated in the northern and eastern governorates.”
He pointed out that “Sulaymaniyah Governorate topped the list with 15 earthquakes recorded in the areas of Chamchamal, Darbandikhan, Halabja, Penjwen, Dokan, followed by Diyala with 5 earthquakes in (Khanaqin and Baladruz), then Erbil with three earthquakes in (Shaqlawa and Koya), and Dohuk with two earthquakes in (Aqrah and Amadiyah). One earthquake was also recorded in each of Baghdad (Taji), Kirkuk (Daquq), Salah al-Din (Baiji), Anbar (Anah), and Halabja.”
Abdul Khaliq concluded his statement by saying that “the past month did not witness the issuance of any report of momentary or emergency tremors, nor were any human or material damages recorded as a result of seismic activity in the region as a whole.”
Earth science specialists believe that the increased seismic activity in northern Iraq is a result of the country’s position on the Arabian Plate, which is affected by the continuous movement of the Eurasian Plate. This makes the border regions with Iran and Turkey among the most seismically active. They emphasize that most tremors remain light to moderate in intensity and do not pose a direct threat to the population.
shafaq.com
