Indian plate moving 5 cm yearly, raising possibility of earthquakes: NGRI

Weather scientist warned that the Indian tectonic plate is moving about 5 cm every year, leading to accumulation of stress along the Himalayas and increasing the possibility of major seismic events

Earthquake, quake
Earthquake. Representative image by Shutterstock
ANI General News
2 min read Last Updated : Feb 22 2023 | 11:07 AM IST

A leading weather scientist and geological expert has warned that the Indian tectonic plate is moving about 5 cm every year, leading to accumulation of stress along the Himalayas and increasing the possibility of major seismic events -- earthquakes -- in the coming days.

Speaking to ANI on Tuesday, Dr N Purnachandra Rao, the chief scientist and seismologist at the Hyderabad-based National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), said, "The Earth's surface comprises various plates that are constantly in motion. The Indian plate is moving about 5 cm every year, resulting in the accumulation of stress along the Himalayas and raising the possibility of major earthquakes."

"We have a strong network of 18 seismograph stations in Uttarakhand. The region, referred to as the seismic gap between Himachal and the western part of Nepal, including Uttarakhand, is prone to earthquakes that might occur any time," the chief scientist added.

An earthquake of magnitude 3.6 occurred 56 kms north of Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, at 10.38 pm on Monday, the National Centre for Seismology stated.

The epicentre was at a depth of 10 kms beneath the earth's surface, the agency said.

"An earthquake of magnitude 3.6 occurred 56km north of Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh at around 10:38 pm, yesterday. The depth of the earthquake was 10 km below the ground," the NCS said in a statement.

On February 19, an earthquake struck the town of Nandigama in Andhra Pradesh's NTR district. No loss of lives was reported in the incident.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Quarterly Starter

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

Save 46%

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Access to Exclusive Premium Stories Online

  • Over 30 behind the paywall stories daily, handpicked by our editors for subscribers

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

Topics :earthquakesIndiaScientists

First Published: Feb 22 2023 | 11:07 AM IST

Next Story