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UPSC » Daily News Analysis ‘ Earthquake hazard zone in India ‘: 18 February

Daily News Analysis ‘ Earthquake hazard zone in India ‘: 18 February

Table of Content
About Earthquake:
  • An earthquake is the sudden shaking of the Earth’s surface due to the release of energy from within the Earth’s crust, primarily caused by tectonic forces.
  • Tectonic Causes:
    • Plate Tectonics: Movement of Earth’s lithospheric plates along fault lines (e.g., San Andreas Fault, Himalayan Fault Line).
    • Subduction Zones: One plate moves beneath another, creating intense seismic activity (e.g., Pacific Ring of Fire).
    • Transform Boundaries: Plates slide past each other, causing frequent earthquakes (e.g., Turkey-Syria Fault Line).
  • Other Causes:
    • Volcanic Activity: Magma movement causes tremors, especially near active volcanoes.
    • Isostatic Rebound: Earth’s crust adjusts after glacial melting or tectonic stress.
    • Human-Induced: Mining, reservoir-induced seismicity (dams), and deep drilling.
  • Distribution:
    • Most earthquakes occur along tectonic plate boundaries.
    • Seismic zones: Pacific Ring of Fire, Himalayan Belt, Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
Earthquake hazard zone in India: Why in News?
  • Strong tremors with a magnitude of 4.0 hit Delhi-NCR in February 2025.