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Earthquake

Earthquake

Kopili Fault (KF) zone

Seismogenic liquefaction features like multiple sand dykes and sand sills have been identified by scientists in an active fault in northeastern region (NER), called Kopili fault (KF) zone. The Kopili Fault, a lineament situated in the northeastern region (NER), extends from the western part of Manipur to the tri-junction of Bhutan, Arunachal Pradesh, and Assam. It is one of the active fault that has experienced large earthquakes and falls into the Highest Seismic Hazard Zone V.

06 December, 2023 Earthquake

Earthquake

Earthquake Recently, when an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.6 rocked Nepal, killing a few people and destroying many homes, India experienced strong vibrations. Why did these tremors occur? The India and Eurasia Plate collisions, the primary cause of seismicity in the Himalayas, are cited by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) as the cause of the earthquakes. At a relative pace of 40–50 millimetres each year, these plates are convergent. This region is one of the most seismically dangerous places on Earth as a result of the northward underthrusting of India beneath Eurasia. Some of the deadliest earthquakes have…

15 November, 2022 Earthquake

Earthquake resistant buildings using Thermocol

Earthquake-resistant buildings using Thermocol Thermocol could be the material of the future for the construction of Earthquake resistant buildings, with thermal insulation and could also save the energy required to develop construction materials. Researchers at IIT Roorkee have found that thermoacol or Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) is used as a composite material in the core of reinforced concrete sandwiches, and could resist earthquake forces on up to four-storey buildings. The researchers tested a full-scale building and a number of wall elements constructed with thermocol sandwiched between two layers of concrete at the National Seismic Test Facility (NSTF) of the Department of…

24 August, 2021 Earthquake

Earthquakes in India

Why in News? Earthquake Observatories in India India is going to have 35 more earthquake Observatories by end of this year and 100 more such Observatories in the next five years. In the last six and a half decades since Independence, the country had only 115 Earthquake Observatories but now, there is going to be a quantum leap in the number of Earthquake Observatories in the country. The Indian subcontinent is considered one of the world's most disaster-prone areas in terms of earthquakes, landslides, cyclones, floods, and tsunamis. What is an Earthquake? An earthquake is a fault that is a sharp…

22 August, 2021 Earthquake

Seismic Mapping of India

Seismic Mapping of India Read about the Earthquake in India and then click here. A total of ~59% of the land mass of India (covering all states of India) is prone to earthquakes of different intensities. As per the seismic zoning map of the country, the total area is classified into four seismic zones. Zone V is seismically the most active region, while zone II is the least. Approximately, ~ 11% area of the country falls in zone V, ~18% in zone IV, ~ 30% in zone III and remaining in zone II. The National Centre for Seismology under the…

31 July, 2021 Earthquake

Assam Earthquake

Assam Earthquake What is an Earthquake? An earthquake is a natural event which is caused due to release of energy, which generates waves that travel in all directions. The vibrations called seismic waves are generated from earthquakes that travel through the Earth and are recorded on instruments called seismographs. The location below the earth’s surface where the earthquake starts is called the hypocenter, and the location directly above it on the surface of the earth is called the epicentre. Earthquake zones of India The major reason for the high frequency and intensity of the earthquakes is that the Indian plate…

06 May, 2021 Earthquake

Everything about: Earthquake

Everything about: Earthquake What is an Earthquake? A fault is a sharp break in the crustal rocks. When lithospheric plates move, the surface of the Earth vibrates (release of Energy and the Energy waves travel in all directions). An earthquake is the sudden release of the Energy in the Earth’s crust that creates seismic waves.  The energy accumulation site is identified w deformed rocks caused by tension or compression. The subterranean spot at which rocks begin to shift/rupture is Focus or Hypocenter of Earthquake, whereas the point vertically over the Focus is Epicenter, which experiences the 1st waves and the greatest damage which decreases…

02 May, 2021 Earthquake

Non-uniformity of Himalayas foresees significantly large earthquake events

Non-uniformity of Himalayas foresees significantly large earthquake events Scientists have found that the Himalayas are not uniform and assume different physical and mechanical properties in different directions — a property present in crystals that is called ‘anisotropy’. This could result in significantly large earthquake events in the Himalayas. The northwest region of India, an area covering Garhwal and Himachal Pradesh, has been hit by four destructive moderate to great earthquakes since the beginning of the 20th century — Kangra (1905), Kinnaur (1975), Uttarkashi (1991) and Chamoli (1999). These seismic activities manifest large-scale subsurface deformation and weak zones, underlining the need…

09 April, 2021 Earthquake

Earthquakes management

Earthquakes management GS-Paper-1 Geography- Earthquake (PT) According to a recently published study, researchers have developed a new way to improve the prediction of earthquakes. Seismic Waves Vibrations from an earthquake are categorised as P (primary) and S (secondary) waves. They travel through the Earth in different ways and at different speeds. They can be detected and analysed. P-waves: These are the first waves detected by seismographs (instruments used to detect and record earthquakes). These are longitudinal waves which means they vibrate in the same direction as they travel. Other examples of longitudinal waves include sound waves and waves in a stretched spring. S-waves: These waves arrive at the detector after primary waves. These are transverse waves which means they vibrate…

20 July, 2020 Earthquake

Previously unknown faults at the foot of the Himalaya discovered

Previously unknown faults at the foot of the Himalayas discovered Context Data from an oil and gas exploration company has now helped geologists discover a series of faults at the foot of the Himalaya. Sesimic exploration data The team looked at seismic reflection data, which are routinely collected by exploration companies looking for oil and gas. In this method, seismic waves are produced by small explosions at multiple sources, and many recorders called geophones to record the sound echoing off layers beneath the surface. Composite image The signals are combined to make an image that looks like a slice showing…

19 July, 2020 Earthquake

Delhi’s minor tremors (Earthquake in the Himalayas)

Delhi’s minor tremors In the wake of the recent series of tremors in Delhi-NCR, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology, has said that such tremors are not unusual in the Delhi-NCR region, but indicate that strain energy is built up in the region. They have said that since the seismic network is quite good, present micro to minor earthquakes in and around Delhi-NCR could be recorded. Though our understanding, in terms of when, where and with how much energy (or magnitude) an earthquake can occur, is not clear, the vulnerability of…

20 June, 2020 Earthquake

Tremble after the tremors- EARTHQUAKE Explained 

Tremble after the tremors- EARTHQUAKE Explained  Part of: GS-I- Earthquake  (PT-MAINS-PERSONALITY TEST) The NCR shook seven times in the last 20 days, fuelling fears of a high-magnitude earthquake. Seismologists have ruled out an immediate threat though they insist the region remains at risk of a ‘great’ Himalayan quake Since May 15, the National Center for Seismology has recorded seven small earthquakes, ranging from 1.8 to 4.5 on the Richter scale, with epicentres at Faridabad, Rohtak and New Delhi. The spate of tremors — the most recent one occurring last (June 3) — has fuelled speculation about the possibility of a…

07 June, 2020 Earthquake

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