Showing posts with label tectonic plate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tectonic plate. Show all posts

Saturday, February 11, 2023

Earthquakes in the Indian Sub-continent - Past and future

The Indian subcontinent is situated on a highly active plate boundary, which is responsible for a large number of earthquakes. Some of the most prominent fault lines that have the potential to generate earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or higher are:

  1. The Himalayan Frontal Fault: This is a 1,500 km long fault that runs along the Himalayas and is responsible for several large earthquakes in the region, including the 2015 Nepal earthquake.

  2. The Shillong Plateau: This plateau is located in the northeastern part of India and is known for its active tectonics. It has produced several moderate to large earthquakes in the past.

  3. The Alipore Fault: This is a strike-slip fault located in eastern India and is capable of producing moderate to large earthquakes.

  4. The Arakan Yoma Range: This range is located in Myanmar and is known for its active tectonics. It has produced several moderate to large earthquakes in the past.

  5. The Kachchh (Kutch)Fault: This is a major fault located in the western part of India and has the potential to produce moderate to large earthquakes.

These are just a few of the many active fault lines in the Indian subcontinent, and it's important to note that earthquakes can occur anywhere and at any time, regardless of the presence of known fault lines.


It's not possible to list all of the earthquakes that have occurred in the Indian subcontinent over the past 200 years, as there have been many thousands of them. However, here is a list of some of the larger and more significant earthquakes that have struck the region:

  1.   1803 Himachal Pradesh earthquake: Magnitude 8.0

  2.   1905 Kangra earthquake: Magnitude 7.5

  3.   1934 Bihar-Nepal earthquake: Magnitude 8.1

  4.   1950 Assam-Tibet earthquake: Magnitude 8.6

  5.   1965 Kashmir earthquake: Magnitude 7.5

  6.   1993 Maharashtra earthquake: Magnitude 6.2

  7.   2001 Bhuj earthquake: Magnitude 7.7

  8.   2005 Kashmir earthquake: Magnitude 7.6

  9.   2015 Nepal earthquake: Magnitude 7.8

  10.   2017 Jammu and Kashmir earthquake: Magnitude 7.5

These are just a few examples of the many earthquakes that have struck the Indian subcontinent over the past 200 years. It's important to note that smaller earthquakes, which may not have made this list, can still cause significant damage and loss of life.

The active plate boundary in the Indian subcontinent is known as the Indo-Australian Plate boundary. It is a convergent boundary, where the Indian Plate is colliding with the Eurasian Plate and pushing up the Himalayas. This collision is responsible for the high level of seismic activity in the region, including frequent earthquakes and the formation of the highest mountain range in the world.

Because earthquakes cannot be predicted, tremor-resistant buildings were crucial in affected areas. It is important that all new construction met modern earthquake-proof standards.

 

 

<script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1827088090084063"
     crossorigin="anonymous"></script>

 

The changing landscape of terrorism and its funding.

  In the last two years (2023 / 2024) deaths from terrorism have increased by over 22% and are now at their highest levels since 2017, thoug...