THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: National Centre for Seismology (NCS) clarified that there was no earthquake in Wayanad, but there were mild tremors linked to the recent landslides.
The tremors could be a result of shifting of land masses accumulated during landslides from one level to another lower level for better stabilisation, said O P Mishra, NCS director. He termed it as “hilling effect”.
“Our stations in Kerala have not detected any significant seismic activity. When a landslide occurs, it redistributes landmass and alters stress on surrounding rock formations, which can lead to various adjustments in the nearby terrain. It involves the shifting of landmass and is common in areas prone to landslides,” he explained.
“We are continuously monitoring the situation. The likelihood of additional tremors depends on the extent of the destabilised rock masses,” he said.
Mishra noted that physical changes from shifting landmass would not be visible. The Geological Survey of India has started studying the areas affected by the tremors.