essay on earthquake on nepal

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Earthquakes and Nepal: From the Beginning

Anup kumar ayadi.

Increased understanding of Nepal's susceptibility to earthquakes critical to promoting concern among the public and authorities and fueling efforts for disaster preparedness and mitigation activities

According to the Earthquake catalog from the bulletin of National Seismological Center, more than 70 earthquakes of Magnitude 4.0 or higher struck Nepal in 2023. A few among those earthquakes, such as the ones that hit Bajhang and Jajarkot, registered magnitudes higher than 6.0. It is the highest since the disastrous year of 2015, where there were over 400 such earthquakes. Despite this, Seismologists still warn of a major earthquake threat in western Nepal – one that could potentially be of a magnitude above 8.0.

The earthquakes of Bajhang and Jajarkot shock us. They appear to have come suddenly and without warning. Yet for Nepal, recent earthquakes are nothing but just another day in its interminable seismic history. Large earthquakes have plagued Nepal since the geographical origin of the country itself. Perhaps understanding this can better help us comprehend present events and properly guage future risks.

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Why Earthquakes Occur in Nepal?

As per our current understanding, the Earth is a sphere with different layers. Primarily, there is the crust (the outer solid layer), the mantle (the middle semi-solid layer) and the outer and inner core (the innermost dense layers). The base of the crust is broken up into rocky plates called the tectonic plates which lie on top of semi molten rocks of the mantle. Due to convection in the mantle, the tectonic plates move relative to each other. In the process, they often get stuck with one another at various places called faults. But due to their tendency to move, stress gradually accumulates in these areas. When enough energy accumulates, it can suddenly overcome friction, and the plates slip violently releasing some or all the stored energy in the form of an earthquake.

Most earthquakes in the world occur in this fashion, at regions where one tectonic plate meets another called plate boundaries. Around the world, there are such belts of plate boundaries where frequent earthquakes take place.

One of these lines passes directly through Nepal. It is the part of a prominent earthquake belt called the Alpide earthquake belt, which according to the US Geological Survey, accounts for about 17 percent of the world's largest earthquakes. The line that passes through Nepal represents the tectonic boundary between the Indian plate and the Eurasian plate which collided some 60 million years ago. Back then, their collision had formed the Tibetan Plateau, the Himalayans and present Nepal. Today, the Indian plate is still moving northwards, pushing against the Eurasian plate at a very slow rate. Throughout history, as enough energy accumulates around this region, it is released as earthquakes. So this is the source of most of Nepal's earthquakes including the ones that occurred in 1833, 1934 and 2015.

History of Recorded Earthquakes in Nepal

Although we know that earthquakes in Nepal are as old as Nepal itself, all such historical occurrences of Earthquakes in Nepal before the twentieth century remains poorly documented. This is because the system of instrumentally recorded earthquakes in the country is only a recent development. Tracing the historical seismology of Nepal, therefore, mostly comes down to studying written history, autobiographies, scriptures and chronicles of the past.

Subsequently, quantitative data such as scale, epicenter, casualties, length, depth of hypocenter, number of foreshocks and aftershocks we possess regarding these earthquakes are limited at best. The more behind we go in the past, the more these details become fuzzier and ambiguous.

One of the earliest accounts of Earthquakes in Nepal is the earthquake of 1255 A.D. which is said to have killed one third to one-fourth of the then Nepali population. Abhaya Malla, the second Malla king of Nepal, is also said to have died in the disaster. Some assume that this earthquake was at least a magnitude 7 or higher. Likewise, a similar earthquake in 1408 A.D. is said to have destroyed the Machhendra Nath temple of Patan.

Written accounts in the monasteries of western Tibet as well as historical records in Moghul India suggest of another apocalyptic earthquake that struck the Himalayans, western Tibet, western Nepal and large parts of Northern India, in the summer of 1505 A.D. Relying on the descriptions of this earthquake in several Tibetian autobiographies, it is often assumed that this earthquake might have been over the 8 magnitude threshold. This is often called the last great earthquake in the western Himalayas as it is said that no record of another great earthquake of this scale exists in this region after 1505 A.D. This is also why some seismologists warn of a mega-earthquake threat in western Nepal due to all the stress that has accumulated in this region over more than 600 years as India continues to move northwards towards Tibet. It is often referred to as a "seismic gap".

From the 1800s and 1900s, we began to develop better records of historical earthquakes. The following map, obtained from the US geological survey's website, displays earthquakes that occurred in the past few centuries that were above the magnitude of 5.

The 1833 A.D. earthquake is one of the earliest major earthquakes of Nepal of which we possess modest amount of historical data. This earthquake, which devastated Kathmandu valley, is estimated to be of the magnitude 7.8, considering the large area over which the Earthquake was felt. The epicenter was somewhere 50 km North - North East of Kathmandu. Two foreshocks occurred before the main earthquake, which could have ushered most residents out of their homes in panic. This might explain why the casualties are reported to be less than 500 despite the large scale of the event.

The great Nepal-Bihar earthquake was another historical earthquake which occurred in 1934 A.D. The epicenter for this event was located in eastern Nepal. The tower of Dharahara which had been severely damaged in the 1833 earthquake once again crumbled to the ground. More than 8000 people died in the event. Roads in the valley were severely damaged and many electricity lines were disrupted.

Finally, there is the Gorkha earthquake of 2015 which remains one of the most studied earthquakes of the Himalayan region. However, the record of historical earthquake in Nepal is incomplete. This makes it challenging to assess the recurrence period of great earthquakes in Nepal. Despite this, it is generally said that a great earthquake strikes Nepal in every 80 to 100 years interval.

Preparing for Future Risks

As far as we know, there exists no reliable technique to accurately predict earthquake events of the future. However, due to high seismic activity in the Himalayan region as well as due to a long record of violent earthquakes in the past, we do understand that Nepal is incredibly prone to frequent earthquakes. The government's post-disaster needs assessment (PDNA) of 2015 ranked the nation as the 11th most earthquake prone country in the world which also attests to our vulnerability. Therefore, it is essential that Nepal implements effective disaster preparedness strategies to minimize causalities in the next earthquake.

We can learn from our past. In the 2015 Gorkha Earthquake, the practice of hospital retrofitting helped keep the biggest hospitals in Kathmandu functioning throughout the 7.8 magnitude earthquake. Now, we should focus on not only retrofitting hospitals but all schools, public and commercial buildings and private homes. Building codes should be also be stringently enforced. Concrete buildings are fatal if proper construction procedures are neglected.

Open spaces that can be used as shelter during an earthquake should be protected. Especially in dense urban areas like Kathmandu, the government should be especially strict to ensure that these open spaces like urban parks are not infringed or encroached. A map of such areas should be easily accessible to the public so that they can plan their disaster preparedness plans in the household level. Similarly, humanitarian relief and response in a post disaster scene need to be swift and correctly placed to save as much lives as possible in the golden hour. Therefore, it is essential to have sufficient relief packages at stand by.

Finally, all large offices should create emergency preparedness plans for their staff in an event of an earthquake and all households should understand how to respond in such an event. Schools should practice earthquake drills in a timely manner. Earthquakes are uncontrollable, disastrous events. But even if we cannot control these seismic catastrophes, we can control our response to them.

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April 28, 2015

How The Deadly Nepal Earthquake Happened [Infographic]

Saturday's terrible earthquake was the latest result of an ongoing collision of giant pieces of our planet, a slow-moving disaster that started about 50 million years ago.

By Josh Fischman

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Between 55 million and 40 million years ago, the northern edge of what is now India began to slam into the giant slab of Earth's crust that today carries Nepal and Tibet. This ancient collision had a terrible after-effect this past Saturday: The deadly earthquake, centered in Nepal, which had an estimated death toll of nearly 4,000 people as of Monday evening. India bulled its way under Nepal those many millions of years ago, shoving the northern land skyward. That move began to create the towering Himalaya, including Mt. Everest. The collision is still going on, as India moves several centimeters north each year, and this has created an unstable fissure in the planet's crust, known as the Himalayan frontal thrust fault. This boundary zone, shown below, continues to release enormous earthquakes. Saturday's magnitude 7.8 disaster appears to overlap a segment that released a 8.1 magnitude quake in 1934, according to Susan Hough, a seismologist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Pasadena, California. That quake killed an estimated 10,700 people . Here are illustrations that show, first, how the initial collision occured, then how the thrust fault is continuing to fracture the crust in the area, and finally where the frontal thrust fault lies in relation to other cracks in this very quake-prone zone. HIMALAYAS WERE FORMED when the Indian lithospheric plate drifted northward and collided with the Eurasian plate. The collision is shown here in simplified, vertically exaggerated diagrams. Some 60 million years ago the oceanic lithosphere at the leading edge of the Indian plate was being subducted under southern Tibet (1). Magma rising above the Indian plate erupted from volcanoes and formed granite intrusions. Sediments and oceanic crust scraped off the descending plate piled up in an accretionary wedge, which created a forearc basin that trapped sediments eroded from Tibet. Sometime between 55 and 40 million years ago the two landmasses collided (2). Presumably the Indian crust was too buoyant to plunge far under Tibet; as a result a new fault, the Main Central Thrust, broke through the Indian crust. Subsequently motion continued along the fault (3). A slice of Indian crust, topped by Paleozoic and Mesozoic sediments that had been deposited on the continental shelf, was thrust up onto the oncoming subcontinent. The accretionary wedge and the forearc sediments were thrust northward onto Tibet. (Much of this material has since been eroded away.) About 20 to 10 million years ago the Main Central Thrust became inactive. Since then India has slid northward along a second fault, the Main Boundary Fault (4). A second slice of crust has been thrust up onto the subcontinent, lifting up the first slice. The two uplifted slices make up the bulk of the Himalayas; many of the peaks are capped by Paleozoic sediments. The Indian plate bends slightly under the weight of the mountains, and the resulting trough, now filled with sediments, can be detected under the Ganges plain. [Originally produced for " The Structure of Mountain Ranges ," by Peter Molnar, in Scientific American, July 1986; Illustration by Ian Worpole] SHINGLING EFFECTS occur when tectonic plates collide and create thrust faults. Such shingling—the result of the India-Asia plate collision—has occurred in the Himalaya. Faults of a second type are found near the crest of the Himalaya, dipping northward below the Tibetan Plateau. Constituting what is known as the South Tibetan fault system, these faults share geometric similarities with the thrust faults, but rocks slip along this system in the opposite direction. This fault system may also mark the top of the fluid lower crustal channel below Tibet. New evidence suggests that northward slip along the South Tibetan fault system and simultaneous southward slip along the southern faults permit the southward extrusion of this channel toward the Himalayan range front. (Tan regions are moving north. Purple and gray regions are moving south.) [Originally produced for " Climate and the Evolution of Mountains ," By Kip Hodges, in Scientific American, August 2006; Graphic by Jen Christiansen; Source: “Southward Extrusion of Tibetan Crust and its Effect on Himalayan Tectonics," By K. V. Hodges, J. M. Hurtado and K. X. Whipple, in Tectonics, VOL . 20, NO. 6 , pages 799–809; 2001]. PRINCIPAL TECTONIC FEATURES that are thought to be associated with continuing northward push of the India plate againstthe Eurasia plate have been plotted by the authors, partly on the basis of the analysis of ERTS photographs and partly on the basis of studies of major earthquakes (colored dots), which reveal how the crust has moved along faults. The straight lines without arrowheads through dots indicate thrust faults. The double-headed arrows indicate normal faults. The pairs of anti parallel arrows indicate movement along strikeslip faults. The areas in color appear to be zones of recent uplift resulting from crustal shortening. The overall impression is that the large Eurasian land mass that lies to the west of 70 degrees east longitude has remained more or less undeformed as China bas been pushed to east. [Originally produced for " The Collision between India and Eurasia, " By Peter Molnar and Paul Tapponnier, Scientific American, April 1977; Graphic by Andrew Tomko].

Nepal quake: the challenges facing disaster response

Senior Clinical University Teacher , University of Sheffield

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The Nepal earthquake was a disaster waiting to happen. The rising death toll is a sad confirmation of my fears when I first heard of the earthquake. And the full scale of things is not yet known, as there will be considerable under-reporting due to the remoteness of some of the affected communities and the lack of reliable casualty reporting systems.

Experts have warned for years of a likely earthquake striking the area. Indeed it was predicted that such an event would have catastrophic consequences due to the toxic combination of risk factors that make the country vulnerable. In recent decades there has been a massive growth of the urban population in and around Kathmandu leading to dense overcrowding in the city. This is coupled with poor building practices meaning a lot of buildings were not earthquake-proof. Public utilities infrastructure is limited as is the capacity of the health system and emergency services to respond to a disaster.

While there have been some pockets of good practice, such as disaster preparedness training in some schools, pre-positioning of emergency stores, and some community-based disaster preparedness projects, this has not been systematically rolled out across the country. Indeed, a consequence of the political turmoil in Nepal over the past decade has been the lack of investment and strong political leadership necessary to drive the disaster preparedness and mitigation programmes so desperately needed.

Key challenges ahead

First and foremost in the coming days is the need for access to sufficient quantities of clean water and sanitation. Delivering this in disaster affected urban areas is extremely challenging in view of the scale of the response needed.

In addition, in a country where diseases such as cholera and dysentery are endemic, the risk of epidemics breaking out in the aftermath of the disaster will be high. This risk is likely to increase substantially with the monsoon, which starts in a few weeks. This will potentially lead to a rise in infectious diseases, as well as hampering movement around the country.

The problem of infectious diseases is also worsened by the limited capacity of Nepal’s healthcare system to respond to outbreaks, as well as the lack of an effective surveillance system to detect the outbreaks in the first place. Put simply, the health system will be blind and lame in responding to outbreaks. By the time they are recognised, their extent may be considerable and likely to overwhelm local health services. Outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles are also a possibility as routine immunisation programmes are compromised.

There will also be a need for food and supplies of other essential goods including medicines, as existing stocks run out. However, the logistics of moving vast supplies to the disaster affected areas is especially challenging in Nepal because there is only one major arterial trunk road into the country from India. The existing road is neither wide nor in good repair and will struggle to cope with the high volume of haulage vehicles required to move supplies into the Kathmandu Valley.

Airlift is unlikely to be sufficient to bring in the tonnage of supplies required, and is limited by the fact that the country has only one major airport with a runway long enough to accommodate heavy-lift aircraft. Remote communities in the mountains are likely to be cut off and starved of aid. This is one situation where there is a clear role for foreign military assistance, as only the military has the logistics capability to transport the volume of supplies required, and the helicopters for accessing remote communities with no road access. This is not a task one can expect non-governmental organisations to successfully fulfil.

Longer-term threats

There are also longer-term threats on the horizon. Flooding will be frequent once the monsoon rains set in between June and August. Building appropriate shelter is therefore another imminent priority. It will be virtually impossible to supply enough temporary shelters and tents to all those affected by June, let alone before winter comes.

Exposure to the elements is a lethal threat to the most vulnerable in society such as the young, the elderly and the ill. Once again, remote communities in mountainous areas are likely to be most in need and yet least likely to receive enough aid in view of the challenges in accessing them.

The disaster will also have set the country’s development back by years and there will be adverse economic effects. Poverty ensures the people continue to live in vulnerable situations.

Undoubtedly some Nepalis will already have begun the process of rebuilding destroyed homes. It is essential that they are enabled to rebuild disaster resilient homes.

This is not a short-term endeavour but will require international aid for years to come. Failure will lead to the same risky conditions being replicated and a repeat situation down the line. In view of the complexity and multitude of needs and challenges in Nepal, there is an urgent need for rapid global assistance, both technically and materially. Substantial contributions and effective coordination of all actors involved will be key in ensuring aid gets to where it is needed most.

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• Nepal earthquake 2015

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UNESCO to assess the impact on Nepal’s cultural heritage of the devastating earthquake

“As we are receiving more information from the ground, I am deeply aggrieved by the magnitude of human loss caused by the earthquake in Nepal . I am also shocked by its devastating impact on the unique cultural heritage in the country, in particular extensive and irreversible damage at the World Heritage site of Kathmandu Valley ”, declared Irina Bokova, the Director-General of UNESCO .

According to UNESCO’s preliminary assessment on the ground, the monuments and sites within the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage property , as well as several other cultural and natural heritage sites located in the area, have been heavily affected. In particular, Durbar Squares of Patan, Hanuman Dhoka (Kathmandu) and Bhaktapur are almost fully destroyed.

Nepal’s natural heritage, in particular the World Heritage site of Sagarmatha National Park , including Mount Everest, has also been severely affected by the earthquake. Minimal impact has been found to the World heritage site of Lumbini, the Birthplace of the Lord Buddha (1997), and Chitwan National Park (1984).

“UNESCO has mobilized its expertise as well as international support for Nepal at this difficult time, including for the safeguarding of its heritage”, said the Director-General. “UNESCO is currently preparing to field an international expert mission to undertake an in-depth damage assessment and, based thereon to advise and provide support to the Nepalese authorities and local communities on its protection and conservation with a view to recovery”, added Irina Bokova.

The cultural heritage of the Kathmandu Valley is composed of seven groups of monuments and buildings representing a broad range of historical and artistic achievements for which the Kathmandu Valley is world famous. The seven monuments and sites include the Durbar Squares of Hanuman Dhoka (Kathmandu), Patan and Bhaktapur, the Buddhist stupas of Swayambhu and Bauddhanath and the Hindu temples of Pashupati and Changu Narayan.

• Behind the Photos

The Story Behind the Photos of Nepal’s Devastating Earthquake

F reelance photographer Omar Havana was at home in Kathmandu when an earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale hit central Nepal.

“Everything started moving and my wife and I could [barely] stand,” Havana tells TIME. “I live in a six-floor house, so we ran downstairs as the building started to crack. It was very scary—people were running, shouting and crying. It was awful.”

With a death toll rising by the hour —this earthquake is Nepal’s worst in 81 years—Havana witnessed scenes of panic as people looked for safety in open spaces. “There were more replicas, which scared everyone even more,” he said. “It has been one of the worst scenes I’ve witnessed in my life.”

The Spanish photographer, who moved to Kathmandu seven months ago and is represented by Getty Images, also saw acts of humanity. “People are doing amazing work,” he said. “They’re doing everything they [can] to help each other.”

Havana has been documenting these scenes, filing images that show the extraordinary extent of the destruction and the astonishing solidarity in its wake. “I try to be as human as I can be but it’s hard not to be overwhelmed [by] what’s in front of my eyes: a hand appearing from the debris, a mother hold[ing] her baby. I’m just trying to tell the story of the people and the damage caused to the city.”

While shooting, Havana is also on the lookout for survivors, helping clear rubble. “I keep my eyes open, hoping I will see a person alive under the debris.”

With communications networks severely impacted, Havana has been working with colleagues from other media organizations to get his images out. “Once again, I owe the people of Nepal a lot,” he said. “They are opening us their doors to let us charge our laptops and use Internet from their houses.”

“Today has been one of the saddest of my life,” he added. “I am new in Nepal but the people [have made] me love this country as my home. I am devastated to see this situation.”

Omar Havana is a freelance photographer based in Kathmandu, Nepal. He is represented by Getty Images.

Mikko Takkunen, who edited this photo essay, is an Associate Photo Editor at TIME. Follow him on Twitter @photojournalism .

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Home / Essay Samples / Science / Earthquake / Nepal’s Earthquake Aftermath: Impacts and Governmental Responses

Nepal's Earthquake Aftermath: Impacts and Governmental Responses

• Category: Business , Science , Environment
• Topic: Disaster Recovery Plan , Earthquake , Natural Disasters

Pages: 4 (1800 words)

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Effects of earthquake, unequal impacts, immediate and long-term responses.

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