The 1982 North Yemen earthquake was the first instrumentally recorded seismic event in Yemen detected on global seismograph networks, killing up to 2,800 people.
Key Facts
- Magnitude
- 6.2 Mw
- Maximum intensity
- VIII (Severe) Mercalli scale
- Deaths
- up to 2,800
- Injured
- 1,500
- Date
- December 13, 1982
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
North Yemen sits in a geologically complex region within several hundred kilometers of a tectonic plate boundary, which includes active volcanoes and seafloor spreading ridges. This setting makes the area prone to seismic activity, and Yemen had previously experienced destructive earthquakes, though none had been captured by global monitoring networks.
On December 13, 1982, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck near the city of Dhamar in North Yemen, reaching a maximum perceived intensity of VIII (Severe) on the Mercalli intensity scale. It was the first seismic event in Yemen to be instrumentally recorded and detected on global seismograph networks.
The earthquake killed as many as 2,800 people and injured approximately 1,500 others, making it one of the deadliest disasters in Yemeni history. Its detection on international seismograph networks marked a milestone in the scientific monitoring of seismic activity in the Arabian Peninsula.
Human Cost
Each dot represents approximately 10,000 deaths. Total estimated: 2,800 (earthquake)