The Bam Earthquake Analysis and its Geomorphological Manifestations and Evidences

Bam is a historical city located like a pearl in the heart of Lut Desert and on the Kerman-Zahedan highway. By virtue of the primeval mud-constructed citadel (Arg e Bam which was founded about 2000 years ago), the city has acquired a world-wide name and fame. Unfortunately, a harrowing and horrendous earthquake measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale jolted the city early on a Friday morning exactly at 5:26:26 AM; December 26, 2003 .The city was razed to the ground inflicting heavy losses of life and property. More than 110,000 inhabitants lived in Bam before December 26, 2003 earthquake. More than 35,000 people were killed, about fifty thousand were injured and many people were rendered homeless by the vicious earthquake that shook the ground on the 26th of December, 2003. Though several papers have been written on the Bam earthquake tragedy, this paper initially endeavors to tackle the analysis of the Bam earthquake phenomenon and discuss the natural and general causes and grounds prompting such a high death toll and an extensive loss of property; and then take into account the geomorphological evidences and manifestations resulting from the aforementioned calamity.