Vietnam faces earthquake risk despite not being on tectonic belts

Although Vietnam is not located on major tectonic belts and is unlikely to experience devastating earthquakes, the country still faces the risk of significant seismic activity, particularly in the northwest region, according to leading geophysicists.

The discussion was reignited following the magnitude-7.7 earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28, which caused tremors felt in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

The incident raised public concerns about the potential for earthquakes within Vietnam's borders.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Hong Phuong, chairman of the Scientific Council at the Institute of Geophysics under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, explained that destructive earthquakes typically occur along the worlds three largest tectonic belts: the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Mediterranean-Himalayan belt, and the mid-ocean ridge system stretching from the Arctic Ocean to the Southern Atlantic.

"Vietnam is not situated on these tectonic belts, so we are not exposed to catastrophic earthquakes like the magnitude-9.3 quake in Sumatra-Andaman in 2004 or the recent one in Myanmar," Phuong said.

However, the country is still susceptible to earthquakes due to the presence of multiple geological fault lines, some stretching hundreds of kilometers. These faults are capable of producing earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from six to seven.

Phuong noted that the north of Vietnam is more seismically active than the south because of deeper fault zones along the Da, Red, Chay, Lo, and Ma rivers.

The region has a history of strong quakes, including the two most powerful earthquakes recorded in Vietnam: one in 1983 and another in 1985, both in Dien Bien Province, with magnitudes of 6.8 and 6.7.

"If a magnitude-6.8 earthquake were to strike Hanoi, the consequences could be severe," Phuong said, adding that seismic hazard assessments and preparedness measures should be prioritized to reduce potential damage.

Dr. Nguyen Xuan Anh, director of the Earthquake and Tsunami Warning Center, said that past quakes in Dien Bien generated surface shaking intensities of eight to nine on the MSK-64 scale. Future earthquakes in the region could produce similar effects.

"Surface shaking at these levels can be easily felt and is likely to cause fear," Anh explained. "At intensity nine, buildings could collapse, and the ground could crack open up to 10 centimeters wide. Even at intensity eight, serious structural damage is expected, even for buildings designed with seismic resistance."

He added that while the strong earthquakes in Dien Bien decades ago caused minimal damage owing to sparse infrastructure, a similar event today could have far greater consequences.

Phuong emphasized that even earthquakes with magnitudes between four and five can release energy equivalent to three percent of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima or about 15 tons of TNT.

In Kon Plong District of Kon Tum Province, located in Vietnam's Central Highlands, the strongest recorded quake reached a magnitude of five on July 28, 2024.

According to Phuong, an earthquake with magnitude of five to six can produce surface shaking intensities of six to seven, equivalent to the explosive power of a nuclear bomb.

Thanh Ha - Chi Tue / Tuoi Tre News

(2025/04/04-17:21)