WEarthquakes in 2010 resulted in nearly 321,000 fatalities. Most of these were due to the 2010 Haiti earthquake, which caused an estimated 160,000 deaths, making it the 11th deadliest earthquake in recorded history. Other deadly quakes occurred in China, Indonesia or Turkey. The 2010 Chile earthquake registered 8.8 on the moment magnitude scale, ranking it as the 6th strongest earthquake since 1900. The tsunami associated with the Chile earthquake caused tsunami advisories and warning across the entire Ocean rim, also known as the Ring of Fire.
WThe 2010 Canterbury earthquake struck the South Island of New Zealand with a moment magnitude of 7.1 at 4:35 am local time on 4 September, and had a maximum perceived intensity of X (Extreme) on the Mercalli intensity scale. Some damaging aftershocks followed the main event, the strongest of which was a magnitude 6.3 shock known as the Christchurch earthquake that occurred nearly six months later on 22 February 2011. Because this aftershock was centred very close to Christchurch, it was much more destructive and resulted in the deaths of 185 people.
WThe 2010 Damghan earthquake occurred in northern Iran at 11:53:49 local time on August 27 with a moment magnitude of 5.8 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VII. This strike-slip event damaged and destroyed a number of small villages in a sparsely populated region near the Alborz mountain range. It left four people dead, forty injured, and about 800 people without homes. The deaths and injuries in this moderate event were attributed to the low quality construction styles that are typical of the area. The Iranian Strong Motion Network provided data by which seismologists determined the type and extent of the slip as well as the peak ground acceleration. Other large and destructive earthquakes have affected the Semnan Province, including several events in 856 AD and 1953.
WThe 2010 Indiana earthquake registered 3.8 on the moment magnitude scale and struck near Greentown and Kokomo on December 30, 2010 at 12:55:21 UTC at a depth of 3 mi. The quake occurred approximately 50 miles north of Indiana's capital, Indianapolis. It joins only three other earthquakes that have affected the northern Indiana area since 1999. The “extremely rare and unprecedented” earthquake had the largest magnitude of a northern Indiana earthquake in 175 years. Despite being considered a rare occurrence, the affected region of northern Indiana lies near many fault lines including the Wabash Valley Seismic Zone and the New Madrid Seismic Zone. Both zones are hotspots for tectonic activity, with the Wabash Valley Fault Zone reaching earthquake depths up to 18 km (11.4 mi.) deep. It was incorrectly recorded by nearby stations as a 4.2 magnitude before being downgraded to 3.8. No significant damage was reported from the incident, but the quake was felt by thousands, spanning across multiple cities and states. Towns as far away as Kalamazoo, Michigan and states as far as Wisconsin and Kentucky reported the earthquake.
WThe May 2010 Northern Sumatra earthquake occurred with a moment magnitude of 7.2 on May 9 at 12:59 PM local time in Indonesia. The epicenter was 215 km from Banda Aceh on the northwestern tip of Sumatra. According to USGS, it is likely that this earthquake occurred along the interface of the Indo-Australia Plate and the Sunda Plate. It was one of a sequence of large earthquakes along the Sunda megathrust in 2000s. It was also felt in Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore and Thailand. Broken windows and cracks in the walls were reported in the control tower at Cut Nyak Dhien Airport near Meulaboh.
WThe 2010 Pichilemu earthquake, also known as the Libertador O'Higgins earthquake, was a 6.9 MW intraplate earthquake that struck Chile's O'Higgins Region on 11 March 2010. The earthquake was centred 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) northwest of the city of Pichilemu.
WThe 2010 Beni-Ilmane earthquakes began 14 May at 12:29:22 UTC, when a M5.3 strike-slip earthquake occurred in Northern Algeria. With a maximum EMS-98 intensity of VII (Damaging), it was the first in a sequence of three shocks that affected the Bouïra Province over a ten-day period. Two people were killed, forty-three were injured, and some structural damage was reported.
WThe 2010 Afghanistan earthquake occurred on April 18 with a moment magnitude of 5.6. The earthquake could be felt in Mazar-i-Sharif, Kabul, and elsewhere in Afghanistan, as well as in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Eleven people were killed and more than 70 were injured. More than two thousand houses were destroyed.
WThe 2010 Kalgoorlie-Boulder earthquake was a 5.2 Mw earthquake that occurred near the city of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Western Australia on 20 April 2010, at approximately 8:17 am WST.
WThe 2010 Baja California earthquake occurred on April 4 with a moment magnitude of 7.2 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). The shock originated at 15:40:41 local time south of Guadalupe Victoria, Baja California, Mexico.
WThe 2010 Central Canada earthquake occurred with a moment magnitude of 5.0 in Central Canada on 23 June at about 13:41:41 EDT and lasted about 30 seconds. The epicentre was situated in the area of Buckingham, Quebec, approximately 56 kilometres (35 mi) north of Ottawa, Ontario, closest to the settlement of Val-des-Bois, Quebec. Canada's capital, Ottawa, declared this earthquake as being its most powerful in 65 years.
WThe 2010 Elazığ earthquake was a 6.1 Mw earthquake that occurred on 8 March 2010 at 02:32 UTC. The epicentre was Başyurt in Elazığ Province, in eastern Turkey. Initial reports in global media said as many as 57 people had died. By 10 March, reports in the Turkish media placed the death toll at 41 and later, the death toll rose to 42. Another 74 were injured, many after falling and jumping from buildings. A stampede through the streets led to further injuries.
WThe 2010 Eureka earthquake occurred on January 9 at 4:27:38 pm PST offshore of Humboldt County, California, United States. The magnitude was measured 6.5 on the Mw scale, and its epicenter was located offshore in the Pacific Ocean 33 miles (53 km) west of the nearest major city, Eureka. Additionally, there was a separate earthquake further offshore of Eureka on February 4 with a slightly lower magnitude of 5.9. It was also the most significant earthquake in the Eureka area in terms of magnitude since the 1992 Cape Mendocino earthquakes. It was felt from Santa Cruz County, California in the south, to Eugene, Oregon in the north and to the east as far as Reno, Nevada.
WThe 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake, with an epicenter near the town of Léogâne (Ouest) and approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.
WThe 2010 Hosseinabad earthquake occurred on December 20 at 22:11 local time with a moment magnitude of 6.6 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). It was located about 20 km from Hosseinabad, Kermān Province in south-eastern Iran, about 100 km from Bam.
WOn July 30, 2010 a 5.6 magnitude earthquake occurred in Razavi Khorasan province, Iran.
WThe 2010 Kaohsiung earthquake, measuring 6.3 Mw, occurred on March 4 at 8:20 a.m. local time. The epicenter was located in the mountainous area of Kaohsiung County of the southwestern Taiwan. It was the most powerful earthquake in Kaohsiung since 1900. The earthquake did not cause any deaths, but 96 people were injured.
WThe 2010 Mentawai earthquake occurred with a moment magnitude of 7.8 on 25 October off the western coast of Sumatra at 21:42 local time. The earthquake occurred on the same fault that produced the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. It was widely felt across the provinces of Bengkulu and West Sumatra and resulted in a substantial localized tsunami that struck the Mentawai Islands.
WThe 2010 Mindanao earthquakes occurred in the southern Philippines in the Moro Gulf. This was a complex sequence of events including three man events of Mw magnitude 7.3 or greater on the 23rd of July, and two significant aftershocks of magnitude 6.6 on the 24th and 29th. All of these were deep focus earthquakes, at depths from 565 km (351 mi) to 634 km (394 mi). This resulted in minimal, but very widespread shaking at the surface, with a maximum intensity of IV on the PEIS scale; consequently there were no reports of casualties or damage.
WThe 2010 Oaxaca earthquake struck Oaxaca, Mexico on June 30, 2010, with an Mw magnitude of 6.3. Many people in different cities left their beds and ran into the street, as the quake struck at 2:22 am. Helicopters and police vehicles were sent to inspect possible damage in Mexico City, primarily in downtown and central areas, where some buildings were evacuated. In Mexico City, some cases of power outage in Azcapotzalco, Iztapalapa, and Benito Juárez and cracks in buildings were reported. 1 person died in San Andrés Huaxpaltepec, Oaxaca.
WThe 2009–20 Oklahoma earthquake swarms are a series of human activity-induced earthquakes affecting central Oklahoma, southern Kansas, northern Texas. Beginning in 2009, the frequency of earthquakes in the U.S. state of Oklahoma rapidly increased from an average of fewer than two 3.0+ magnitude earthquakes per year since 1978 to hundreds each year in the 2014–17 period. Thousands of earthquakes have occurred in Oklahoma and surrounding areas in southern Kansas and North Texas since 2009. Scientific studies attribute the rise in earthquakes to the disposal of wastewater produced during oil extraction that has been injected more deeply into the ground.
WThe 2010 Papua earthquake occurred on June 16 at 12:16 local time in Papua province of Indonesia. The magnitude 7.0 mainshock was preceded by an Mw 6.2 foreshock 10 minutes earlier, and was followed 42 minutes later by an Mw 6.6 aftershock.
WThe 2010 Salta earthquake occurred on February 27 at 12:45:36 local time in Salta Province, Argentina and had a magnitude of 6.3. It occurred less than 12 hours after the far larger magnitude 8.8 Chile earthquake, which killed 525 people. It was initially thought to be an aftershock of the Chile earthquake, but scientists later established that the earthquakes were unrelated. The epicenter was about 15 miles north of the city of Salta. The quake killed two people, and injured dozens.
WThe 2010 Serbia earthquake occurred on 3 November in central Serbia just several kilometers from Kraljevo. The earthquake had a magnitude of 5.5 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VI (Strong). The shock was felt across the country, including the capital Belgrade, and in neighboring countries. Two people were killed and over 100 suffered light injuries. There were 5,967 structures that sustained some damage, 1,551 declared unsafe for use and require repairment, and 138 were damaged beyond repair. There were more than 350 aftershocks, including a magnitude Mwr 4.3 earthquake on November 4.
WThe 2010 Solomon Islands earthquake occurred with a moment magnitude of 7.1 on January 3 at 22:36:28 (UTC). A tsunami measuring approximately 10 feet affected some parts of the islands. The earthquake was the largest in a series of quakes to strike the Solomon Islands over the preceding days. The 7.1 mainshock was preceded by a 6.6 magnitude foreshock some 48 minutes previous. As many as 1,000 people were left homeless on the island of Rendova after the earthquake and tsunami destroyed approximately 200 homes.
WThe April 2010 Sumatra earthquake occurred on April 7 at 5:15 AM local time with a moment magnitude of 7.8 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). The shock occurred near Banyak Islands, off the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. A tsunami watch was issued according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu which was later canceled. A 40 cm surge was reported in the Banyak Islands an hour after the quake, along with 62 injuries. Power outages were reported throughout the province of North Sumatra as well as in Aceh. This quake is one of the sequence of large earthquakes along the Sunda megathrust in 2000s.
WThe 2010 Yushu earthquake struck on April 14 and registered a magnitude of 6.9 Mw or 7.1 Ms. It had a maximum felt intensity of IX (Violent) on the Mercalli intensity scale. It originated in Yushu, Qinghai, China, at 7:49 am local time. According to the Xinhua News Agency, 2,698 people were confirmed dead, 270 missing and 12,135 injured, 1,434 of them severely. The epicenter was located in Rima village (日玛村/日麻村), Upper Laxiu township (上拉秀乡) of Yushu County, in remote and rugged terrain, near the border of Tibet Autonomous Region, about 30 km from Gyêgu town or Jyekundo, the seat of Yushu County, and about 240 km from Qamdo. The epicenter was in a sparsely populated area on the Tibetan plateau that is regularly hit by earthquakes.