What the record shows for Turkmenistan
The strongest earthquake on record near Turkmenistan is a magnitude 7.2 in 1929, centred 40 km SSE of Baharly, Turkmenistan - 97 years ago. The event is catalogued by USGS. See the event record.
Over the last 20 years, USGS has catalogued 110 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or greater within 333 km of Turkmenistan - roughly 6 a year. That rate describes how often the ground moves enough to be recorded, not how often damage occurs; most of these are never felt.
No tsunamis are recorded within 333 km of Turkmenistan in the NOAA NCEI database. A quiet record is not the same as no exposure - a large enough offshore earthquake can reach coastlines that have never been hit in the historical period.
Sources: USGS earthquake catalog, NOAA tsunami database, and the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program. Figures update as the catalogs are revised.
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Turkmenistan sits on active faults near the Kopet Dag range, the source of the catastrophic 1948 Ashgabat earthquake.
The only real protection is a warning the moment the ground moves - which is exactly what the free QuakeMate app gives you, along with tsunami and volcano alerts for Turkmenistan.
Earthquake risk in Turkmenistan - FAQ
Is Turkmenistan at risk of earthquakes?
Yes. On average about 6 quakes a year nearby of magnitude 4+ within 333 km, based on the last 20 years of USGS data. The strongest earthquake on record nearby is M7.2 in 1929.
What was the biggest earthquake in Turkmenistan?
The strongest earthquake on record near Turkmenistan is M7.2, in 1929 (40 km SSE of Baharly, Turkmenistan), from USGS.
Does Turkmenistan get tsunamis?
No tsunamis are recorded within 333 km of Turkmenistan in the NOAA database - though coastlines everywhere carry some residual risk after a very large offshore quake.
How do I get earthquake warnings in Turkmenistan?
Download the free QuakeMate app for iPhone. It watches your location and sends a real-time push the instant a quake strikes nearby, plus tsunami and volcano alerts, with custom magnitude and distance rules. On Android, join the waitlist.