Nepal In Danger Of Severe Himalayan Earthquake, Claim Researchers

According to reports, researchers from the University of Alberta have discovered a fault system in Nepal which is capable of causing earthquakes in the densely populated regions of the nation.

Reuters

The team looked at seismic profiles -- essentially images that look like slices of the Earth¡¯s crust -- collected during petroleum exploration by capturing sound waves bouncing off sedimentary layers under Ganga flood plain of the river.

The data revealed that while the region of southwestern Nepal is laying flat, the production of thrusting from the movement of tectonic plates has arrived in this region.

Mike Duvall, one of the researchers said in a statement, "Our research highlights the need to look below the surface, and farther afield, to fully understand earthquakes and structures within the Himalaya."

He added, "This network of faults shows that Himalayan deformation reaches farther than we previously thought and provides a glimpse into the geometry and formation of nascent mountain ranges."

Researchers do state the fact that this region hasn¡¯t recorded an earthquake recently, looking at scientific records dating back to only a century ago. But researchers feel that there¡¯s a massive potential for a devastating earthquake to occur.

John Waldron explains, ¡°Most of these faults only slip every thousand years or so," he explained. "We discovered that a substantial part of this area has an almost horizontal fault underneath it, which has the potential to slip and cause a damaging earthquake.¡±

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Reuters

He added, "Along the front of the mountains in Nepal are thrust faults, formed where the Indian subcontinent is being pushed underneath Asia," he said. "The movement is jerky, which produces earthquakes. Because this is a densely populated part of the world, these earthquakes can be catastrophic."

Five years ago in 2015, Katmandu experienced a 7.8 magnitude earthquake that caused severe damage to life and property. And the region in question, even though is far from Katmandu is densely populated.