West of Kathmandu. This has created a huge
Zham, China, at approximately 80 km to the
lake there. Now people in the downstream
east-northeast of Kathmandu.
area are scared fearing that if this block
Both the earthquakes occurred as the result
explodes, it may wash away large habitation
of thrust faulting on or near the main thrust
there.
interface between the subducting India plate
It shows that when any country is trying to
in the south and the overlying Eurasian plate
interfere or change the natural features like
to the north. The India plate is converging
rivers on a young mountain like Himalaya,
with Eurasia at a rate of 45 mm/yr towards
then it must prepare itself for very
the north-northeast – a fraction of which
unpredictable
(~18 mm/yr) is driving the uplift of the
and
unimaginable
consequences in an unknown future.
Himalayan mountain range. Earthquakes of
On behalf of IRBMS family, I would
this size are more appropriately described as
like to express our deep sympathy for
slip over a larger fault area. Events of the
all those who have been affected by the
size of the May 12, 2015 earthquake are
recent earthquake affecting Nepal and
typically about 55x30 km in size (length x
width). The April 25, 2015 M 7.8 mainshock
India.
had approximate dimensions of ~120x80
km, directed from its hypocenter eastwards,
NEWS
Nepal Earthquake
and towards Kathmandu. The May 12, 2015
earthquake is located just beyond the eastern
severe
end of that rupture. As a result, substantial
earthquakes in recent past, these were
seismic energy was generated by faulting
followed by a series of aftershocks. The
very close to the city.
Nepal
has
witnessed
two
first one on 25th April 2015 with 7.8 M
and the second one on 12th May 2015
with 7.2 M in Richter scale. The May 12,
event is the largest aftershock to date of the
April 25, Nepal earthquake – known as the
Gorkha
earthquake.
earthquake took place
The
April
25th
approximately 80
km to the northwest of Kathmandu. The
Nepal Earthquake aftermath (source Time site)
May 12, earthquake was located SE of
2
Integrated River Basin Management Society