Magnitude 4.8 Earthquake Struck Russia-Georgia border region on September 07, 2009 22:49:29

Last Updated: 2022-07-15 17:28:37

On September 07, 2009 22:49:29 an earthquake with magnitude of 4.8 on the richter scale hit Russia-Georgia border region. The earthquake originated at a depth of approximately 10.0 kilometers below the Earth's surface on longitude 43.487° and latitude 42.620°. According to documented reports 34 people felt the earth quake, No tsunami was triggered due to the earthquake.

Magnitude & Depth

The earthquake that appeared on September 07, 2009 22:49:29 had a magnitude of 4.8 on the richter scale. Which is considered to be a minor earthquake and is often felt but causes little to no damage.

Shallow earthquakes are considered between 0 and 70 km deep, while intermediate earthquakes range from 70 - 300 km deep and deep earthquakes are between 300 - 700 km deep.

Are shallow earthquakes more destructive?

Shallow quakes generally tend to be more damaging than deeper quakes. Seismic waves from deep quakes have to travel farther to the surface, losing energy along the way.

Nearby Cities and Towns

The nearest significant population center is Oni in Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, Georgia, located 5 kilometers or 3 miles ↓ S of the earthquake's epicenter. Other cities in close proximity include Ambrolauri (Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, Georgia) located 28 km (17 mi) ↙ SW and Sach’khere (Imereti, Georgia) located 31 km (19 mi) ↓ S of the epicenter.

In total, we found 31 cities in our database that might have been impacted by the earthquake.

Distance Direction City State Country
5 km (3 mi) ↓ S Oni Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti 🇬🇪 Georgia
28 km (17 mi) ↙ SW Ambrolauri Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti 🇬🇪 Georgia
31 km (19 mi) ↓ S Sach’khere Imereti 🇬🇪 Georgia
32 km (20 mi) ↙ SW Ambrolauris Munitsip’alit’et’i Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti 🇬🇪 Georgia
38 km (24 mi) ↓ S Chiat’ura Imereti 🇬🇪 Georgia
42 km (26 mi) ↓ S K’alak’i Chiat’ura Imereti 🇬🇪 Georgia
49 km (31 mi) ↙ SW Tqibuli Imereti 🇬🇪 Georgia
56 km (34 mi) ↖ NW Verkhnyaya Balkariya Kabardino-Balkar Republic 🇷🇺 Russia
65 km (40 mi) ← W Lent’ekhi Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti 🇬🇪 Georgia
70 km (43 mi) ↑ N Cherekskiy Rayon Kabardino-Balkar Republic 🇷🇺 Russia
73 km (45 mi) ↑ N Babugent Kabardino-Balkar Republic 🇷🇺 Russia
75 km (47 mi) ↙ SW Kutaisi Imereti 🇬🇪 Georgia
77 km (48 mi) ← W Mest’ia Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti 🇬🇪 Georgia
79 km (49 mi) ↖ NW Chegem Kabardino-Balkar Republic 🇷🇺 Russia
79 km (49 mi) ↙ SW Tsqaltubo Imereti 🇬🇪 Georgia
90 km (56 mi) ← W Mest’iis Munitsip’alit’et’i Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti 🇬🇪 Georgia
91 km (56 mi) ↑ N Belaya Rechka Kabardino-Balkar Republic 🇷🇺 Russia
93 km (58 mi) ↙ SW Mart’vili Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti 🇬🇪 Georgia
93 km (58 mi) ↙ SW Khoni Imereti 🇬🇪 Georgia
96 km (60 mi) ↖ NW Tyrnyauz Kabardino-Balkar Republic 🇷🇺 Russia
98 km (61 mi) ↖ NW El’brus Kabardino-Balkar Republic 🇷🇺 Russia
98 km (61 mi) ↑ N Kenzhe Kabardino-Balkar Republic 🇷🇺 Russia
100 km (62 mi) ↖ NW Bylym Kabardino-Balkar Republic 🇷🇺 Russia
101 km (63 mi) ↑ N Shalushka Kabardino-Balkar Republic 🇷🇺 Russia
101 km (63 mi) ↑ N Kamenka Kabardino-Balkar Republic 🇷🇺 Russia
103 km (64 mi) ↖ NW El’brusskiy Rayon Kabardino-Balkar Republic 🇷🇺 Russia
104 km (65 mi) ↙ SW K’ulashi Imereti 🇬🇪 Georgia
105 km (65 mi) ↖ NW Lechinkay Kabardino-Balkar Republic 🇷🇺 Russia
106 km (65 mi) ← W Terskol Kabardino-Balkar Republic 🇷🇺 Russia
107 km (66 mi) ↖ NW Zhankhoteko Kabardino-Balkar Republic 🇷🇺 Russia
115 km (71 mi) ↙ SW Abasha Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti 🇬🇪 Georgia

Nearby Power Plants

We found a total 5 utility-scale power plants in the vecinity of the earthquakes epicenter. The closest being Shaori Hydroelectric Power Plants Georgia Hydro power plant, located 48 kilometers (30 miles) ↙ SW from the epicenter.

Distance Direction Power Plant Type Capacity
48 km (30 mi) ↙ SW Shaori Hydroelectric Power Plants Georgia Hydro 38.4 MW
52 km (32 mi) ↙ SW Lajanuri Hydroelectric Power Plant Georgia Hydro 113.0 MW
58 km (36 mi) ↙ SW Dzevrula (Tkibuki-II) Hydroelectric Power Plants Georgia Hydro 80.0 MW
72 km (44 mi) ↙ SW Gumati I and II Hydroelectric Power Plants Georgia Hydro 68.8 MW
77 km (48 mi) ↙ SW Rioni Hydroelectric Power Plant Georgia Hydro 48.0 MW

Power Plants & Risks During Earthquakes

We found 1 types of power plants in the vecinity of the magnitude 4.8 earthquake that struck Russia-Georgia border region on September 07, 2009 22:49:29. These types were Hydro power plants, below you find information how each type of power plant can pose a risk to you as a person or the ecosytem around you.

None of this information should be used as guidence in an event of an emergency, but rather as additional references to information provided by national, state and local authorities.

Hydropower

Hydropower plants are generally considered as safe in many aspects, but when it comes to severe earthquakes they pose a substantial risk that can manifest in the form of dam faliours, landslides and grave impacts on surrounding ecosystems.

Dam Failure

The most significant risk is the potential failure of the dam that holds the water reservoir. Severe ground shaking can damage or breach the dam, leading to downstream flooding and as a result endangering people and wildlife living downstream. Such an event can also have severe impact on key infrastructure that cascades through society.

Landslides

Earthquakes can trigger landslides in the areas surrounding hydropower plants, potentially damaging infrastructure and causing harm to nearby communities.

Damage to Aquatic Ecosystems

Both landslide and dam failures can have a severe impact on upstream and downstream aquatic wildlife, ecosystem and groundwater, resulting in longterm risks for people and industires living and operating in areas near the water supply.

To mitigate these risks, engineering and construction standards for hydropower plants often include earthquake-resistant designs. These designs incorporate measures such as flexible foundations, strengthened dam structures, and advanced monitoring systems to detect early signs of stress. Additionally, emergency plans and evacuation procedures should be in place to protect personnel and downstream communities in the event of a severe earthquake.

Data Information

Information found on this page is a derivative set, based on sources mentioned below.

Data Sources

We aggregate and combine data from USGS (United States Geographical Survey) and the EMSC (European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre). This allow us to get near real-time and historical earthquake data dating back to the year 1950.

Disclaimer

Information or data found on this page should not be used for, or as an early warning system. It is intended as an historical reference or near real-time complementary information to offical and governmental sources. In an event of an emergency it is important closely monitor and follow advice from national, state and local authorities.

Magnitude 4.8 Earthquake Struck Russia-Georgia border region on September 07, 2009 22:49:29
Date and Time
2009-09-07 22:49:29 (UTC)
Magnitude
4.8 Magnitude (richter scle)
Depth
10.0 km
Reports
34 people has reported that they felt this earthquake
Did you feel this earthquake?