Tuesday afternoon saw the 5.8-magnitude earthquake that also caused tremors to be felt in some areas of Delhi and the national capital region. According to the National Centre for Seismology, the earthquake occurred at 2:28 pm with its epicenter in Nepal, 148 kilometers east of Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand. At 2:30 pm, tremors from an earthquake were felt in Delhi-NCR. According to reports, the earthquake’s tremors were felt for a very long time. The earthquake’s epicenter was in Nepal, 10 kilometers below the surface, according to the information. People left their homes and places of business because the tremors were so strong.
Causes earthquakes
The collision of plates within the earth is the primary cause of earthquakes. Seven plates make up the earth, and they rotate continuously. A fault line zone is created and the corners of the surface are folded where these plates eventually collide. As a result of the surface’s cornering, pressure there builds and the plates begin to crack. When these plates separate, the energy trapped inside finds a way to escape, causing the earth to tremble and what we refer to as an earthquake.
There are two main causes of earthquakes. One is the natural cause and the other can be inducted by human activities.
Natural causes:
The natural causes can be further divided into six heads:
- Underground Vapor Pressure: Vapors are generated underground for various reasons in the crust. As this vapor continues to rise, it pushes the lower part of the crust. As a result, severe earthquakes occur.
- Tectonics: According to geologists, the crust is made up of moving layers. These layers are called plates. Beneath these plates lies all the molten material in the Earth’s interior. Displacement of these melts due to natural causes also causes some displacement of the plates. Due to this, a part of one plate sinks under the other plate, causing tremors in the ground.
- Glacial effects: Large amounts of glaciers can break off and roll down mountain slopes, resulting in earthquakes.
- Volcanic Eruptions: Earthquakes can be caused by volcanic eruptions and the ejection of molten lava.
- Landslides: Earthquakes can be felt as a result of landslides.
- Meteor fall: Earthquakes can occur if a large meteor hits the earth.
Human activity:
- Atomic bomb explosion
- Earthquakes in river dams and reservoirs
Although it is well known that human activity can affect seismic activity, researchers were surprised to learn that earthquakes as large as 7.9 in magnitudes have been caused by human activity, and that the frequency of earthquakes is increasing in some parts of the world.
Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) experienced an earthquake of 1.9 magnitude at the start of the new year. This earthquake’s epicentre was in Haryana. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 5 kilometres. Prior to that, on November 29, 2022, Delhi experienced an earthquake with a magnitude of 2.5, and on November 12, 5.4-magnitude earthquake tremors were felt as a result.