CAVES’ SEISMOGRAPH DETECTS AFGHAN EARTHQUAKE

An earthquake that hit the provinces of Paktika and Khost in southeast Afghanistan last week was one of the first notable events to be detected by the seismograph located deep underground at Mitchelstown Caves. The earthquake, with a magnitude of 5.9, was detected by the instrument which has been on-site in County Tipperary since late May - as reported last week.

The affected areas of Paktika and Khost are in the south of Afghanistan, on the border with Pakistan. According to the Irish National Seismic Network (INSN), tremors were felt as far as 500 kilometres away in parts of Pakistan and India. According to the Red Cross, at least 1,000 people have been killed and a further 1,500 injured, although exact numbers are difficult to determine due to the many remote and isolated areas effected.

The INSN were behind the installation of the seismograph in Mitchelstown Caves, the eighth one to come into operation on the island. The INSN have been monitoring earthquakes in Ireland since 1980. The quake in Afghanistan last week was picked up by seven other stations across Ireland, including at Valencia Island and Donegal.

Earthquakes in Afghanistan and Pakistan are a result of the Indian tectonic plate moving north at a rate of about 1.6 inches a year, and colliding with the Eurasia plate. This is the same movement that produces the Himalayan mountains.