WThis is a list of earthquakes in 2002. Only earthquakes of magnitude 6 or above are included, unless they result in damage and/or casualties, or are notable for some other reason. All dates are listed according to UTC time.
WThe Afyon Province of western Turkey was struck by an earthquake measuring 6.5 Mw on 23 February 2002 at 10:11 local time. It had a maximum felt intensity of VIII (severe) on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale. It damage hundreds of buildings and caused the deaths of 44 people and a further 318 injuries.
WAt 14:52 local time on 31 March 2002, an earthquake of magnitude 7.1 on the moment magnitude scale hit Taiwan. The epicenter was offshore from Hualien, which was the most severely affected area with a maximum felt intensity of VII on the Mercalli intensity scale. At least 5 deaths have been reported, with a further 213 injured.
WThe 2002 Tbilisi earthquake occurred on April 25 in the Caucasus country of Georgia. The United States' National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC) placed the magnitude at 4.3 Ms and 4.8 mb . This moderate magnitude event resulted in a maximum MSK intensity of VII to VIII (Damaging). An independent investigation estimated the total losses at $160 million (US) while the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters estimated the total losses at 350 million. Between five and seven were killed, 52–70 were injured, and more than 1,000 were left homeless.
WThe 2002 Burica earthquake occurred on July 30 at 19:16:48 local time off the coast of Panama. It had a magnitude of Mw 6.5. The epicenter was located off the southeastern coast of Burica Peninsula, close to the Costa Rica–Panama border. Some homes collapsed and at least 11 people were reported injured, both in Panama and in Costa Rica. The strongest intensity reached VII in Puerto Armuelles, Panama. It was felt with III (Weak) to IV (Light) around San Jose, Costa Rica. Shops in the center of Puerto Armuelles suffered from loss such as fallen merchandise and broken window glass. This earthquake occurred along the Panama Fracture Zone.
WThe 2002 Denali earthquake occurred at 22:12:41 UTC November 3 with an epicenter 66 km ESE of Denali National Park, Alaska, United States. This 7.9 Mw earthquake was the largest recorded in the United States in 37 years. The shock was the strongest ever recorded in the interior of Alaska. Due to the remote location, there were no fatalities and only a few injuries.
WThe 2002 Hindu Kush earthquakes struck in northern Afghanistan during the month of March. At least 166 people were killed with a very large and intermediate-depth mainshock on March 3. Three weeks later, at least a further thousand were killed during a large, but shallow aftershock that had a maximum Mercalli intensity of VII. The M7.4 and M6.1 reverse events were focused in the Hindu Kush mountain range area.
WThe 2002 Bou'in-Zahra earthquake occurred on 22 June 2002. The epicenter was near the city of Bou'in-Zahra in Qazvin Province, a region of northwestern Iran which is crossed by several major faults that is known for destructive earthquakes. The shock measured 6.5 on the Mwc scale, had a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe), and was followed by more than 20 aftershocks. At least 261 people were killed and 1,500 more were injured.
WThe 2002 Kalehe earthquake occurred on October 24 at 06:08 UTC. This earthquake had a magnitude Mw 6.2, and the epicenter was located in Democratic Republic of the Congo, near Lake Kivu. Eight people were reported dead. Building damage was reported in Goma, Lwiro, Kalehe, and Mugeri. The seismicity, volcanism, and uplift in the basin of Lake Kivu delimits the rift of a tectonic plate. Lake Kivu belongs to the western branch of the East African Rift System (EARS). The western branch is usually divided into several segments, and Lake Kivu belongs to the northern segment.
WThe 2002 Mindanao earthquake struck the Philippines at 05:16 Philippine Standard Time on March 6. The world's sixth most powerful earthquake of the year, it registered a magnitude of 7.5 and was a megathrust earthquake. It originated near the Cotabato Trench, a zone of deformation situated between the Philippine Sea Plate and the Sunda Plate, and occurred very near to the Philippines' strongest earthquake for the 20th century, the 1918 Celebes Sea earthquake.
WThe 2002 Molise earthquakes hit the Italian regions of Molise and Apulia on 31 October at 10:32:58 (UTC) and 1 November at 15:09:00 (UTC). The shocks had magnitudes of 5.9 and 5.8 Mw respectively. Most of the victims were killed and injured when a school collapsed in the town of San Giuliano di Puglia: 26 of the 51 schoolchildren died, together with one of their teachers. In particular, none of the nine children in the school's 4th Year survived.
WThe 2002 Sumatra earthquake occurred at 01:26 UTC on 2 November. It had a magnitude of 7.3 on the moment magnitude scale with an epicenter just north of Simeulue island and caused three deaths. This earthquake is regarded as a foreshock of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, which had an epicenter about 60 km to the northwest.