DEHRADUN: The continuous energy accumulation below the Eurasian plate above the Indian plate is of great concern as it can result in a major earthquake that has not occurred in the past 200 years, scientists on Wednesday said.
Tremors were felt in Uttarakhand after a strong 6.6-magnitude earthquake jolted the remote mountainous region of western Nepal early Wednesday, killing six people. The tremors were felt across the hill state, including in Pithoragarh, Bageshwar, Almora, Champawat, Udham Singh Nagar, Nainital, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Tehri, Pauri, Haridwar, Uttarkashi and Dehradun districts.
The epicenter of the earthquake was located around 90 km from the border district of Pithoragarh.
Scientists have expressed concern over the continuous tremors felt in the mountainous areas of Uttarakhand, especially the belt of Uttarkashi district, which falls in the category of seismically sensitive class 5.
Speaking to this newspaper, Dr Ajay Paul, senior scientist at Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, said, “The collision of the Indian plate and the Eurasian plate resulted in the eruption of the Himalayan plate. The Indian plate beneath the Eurasian plate is subject to thrusting, the phenomenon is being monitored by GPS.
“Moving down the Indian plate is causing accumulation of strain energy. Strain energy is released in the form of earthquakes. It is a natural phenomenon. Accumulation of energy is also a continuous process. This energy is released in the form of earthquakes. We can say a major chunk of energy is released by great earthquakes,” added Paul.
According to the research of Dr. Paul, “Be prepared, conduct mock drills and carry out earthquake-resistant construction activities to minimize and avoid damages.” “After the Kangra earthquake of 1905 and the Bihar earthquake of 1934, an earthquake of magnitude between 6 and 7, classified as ‘large’, or above 8 called ‘great’, is pending in the Central Seismic Gap,” added Paul.
According to Wadia scientists, four major earthquakes were recorded in the Himalayan region over the past 150 years, including the tremors in Shillong in 1897, in Kangra in 1905, in Bihar-Nepal in 1934 and in Assam in 1950.
Four major quakes
Four major earthquakes were recorded in the Himalayan region over the past 150 years, including the tremors in Shillong in 1897, in Kangra in 1905, in Bihar-Nepal in 1934 and in Assam in 1950.