GANGA 47th Issue | Page 2

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