Delhi Earthquake 2025: A Localized Seismic Event Triggered by Hydro Fracturing

Disaster Management Disaster Management in India

Posted by newadmin on 2025-03-31 08:38:50 |

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In February 2025, a 4.0 magnitude earthquake struck Delhi, causing noticeable tremors within the city. Unlike many earthquakes in India, this one did not originate from the Himalayan region but had its epicenter within Delhi itself, at a shallow depth of just 5 km. Shallow earthquakes like this one send more seismic waves to the surface, leading to stronger surface tremors.

Delhi lies in Seismic Zone 4 of India’s earthquake hazard map, indicating a high seismic risk. The city is particularly vulnerable to events with an MSK-8 intensity on the Medvedev-Sponheuer-Karnik (MSK) scale, which measures earthquake intensity rather than its magnitude.

The earthquake’s primary trigger was hydro fracturing, where underground water channels and aquifers erode rock formations, creating fractures that release stress as seismic waves. These fractures, along with local faults like the Mahendranagar and Sohana Faults, contribute to occasional tremors in the region. The Aravalli-Delhi Fold Belt, where Delhi is situated, has deformed rock layers that occasionally shift, leading to seismic events.

Unlike the larger tectonic earthquakes in the Himalayas, this earthquake was the result of localized geological stress rather than tectonic plate movements. While this event was relatively mild, the potential for larger quakes in the region remains, particularly if a major earthquake occurs along the Main Central Fault in the Himalayas.

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