Armenia – China: two countries, one network

Armenia · China · since 2018

From Beijing 2018 to a network across Armenia

From a meeting in Beijing in 2018 to a permanent seismic and GNSS network across Armenia: how the institute and the Institute of Geophysics of the China Earthquake Administration built CHARNET together.

2018talks in Beijing

9CHARNET stations

A6FDSN network code

2025data centre in Gyumri

CHARNET station map ↓ Timeline ↓

The story

Timeline of cooperation

1959
Science
A historical link
Beijing orders 20 multi-pendulum seismometers designed by Armen Nazaryan, long before the two countries built a network together.
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Dec 2018
People & visits
Talks in Beijing
An Armenian delegation of the institute, the National Academy of Sciences and the Science Committee meets the China Earthquake Administration and its Institute of Geophysics. Cooperation begins.
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2019
Network
Choosing the sites
Chinese and Armenian seismologists survey northern Armenia together and choose the sites for eight future stations. The China–Armenia International Laboratory for Earthquake Monitoring and Modelling is founded.
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2020
Science
First joint paper
Karapetyan J., Li L.: the magnitude of completeness, the smallest earthquakes recorded reliably across Armenia and neighbouring regions (Earth-Science Reviews).
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Mar 2021
People & visits
Seminar in Gyumri
An international seminar with Armenian and Chinese specialists and the ambassadors of both countries prepares the new station network and its data centre.
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2023
Network
CHARNET is born
Work begins on CHARNET, the China–Armenia seismic, strong-motion and geodynamic network, FDSN code A6.
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2024
Network
Nine stations online
CHARNET becomes a permanent network of nine stations streaming data to the Gyumri data centre. A joint study on large earthquakes is featured on the cover of the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America.
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Mar 2025
Network
The first strong event
The network records the ML 4.8 earthquake of 8 March 2025 in the Lori region and its aftershock.
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22–23 May 2025
People & visits
The centre opens
The Armenian–Chinese seismic and GNSS network centre opens in Gyumri with Wang Kun, Administrator of the China Earthquake Administration, and Prof. Li Li. The next day the President of Armenia receives the delegation.
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Jun 2025
Network
100 earthquakes in five months
Data reach Gyumri over satellite and 4G links, the first use of satellite communication in Armenian seismology; artificial intelligence helps process them.
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Nov 2025
Science
A joint research project
A joint Armenian–Chinese project on the seismic hazard analysis of major earthquakes in Armenia is approved.
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Mar 2026
People & visits
Schoolchildren at CHARNET
The Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport and the Governor of Shirak visit the centre with pupils from the region.
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Oct 2026
Network
Hearing Tibet from Armenia
Waves of the Mw 7.0 earthquake on the Tibetan Plateau cross more than 4,000 km of Asia and reach the CHARNET stations in about seven and a half minutes.
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Oct 2026
Science
Visiting professor in Beijing
Jon Karapetyan completes his visiting professorship at IGP-CEA: three joint papers submitted and a common roadmap from monitoring to seismic hazard and risk.
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