Shaking Grounds: Explaining How North India Felt the Tremors of a 6.5-Magnitude Earthquake in Afghanistan

 Strong 6.5-magnitude Earthquake in Afghanistan Sends Tremors Across North India:

A powerful 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck Afghanistan on Tuesday night close to Jurm, a northeastern city that is located around 300 kilometres north of Kabul. Several areas of North India, including Delhi, felt the shocks. The US Geological Survey (USGS) estimates that the earthquake originated 187.6 kilometres beneath the surface of the earth. Because deep earthquakes may be sensed far away, it makes sense that vibrations were detected in Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, and Jaipur, Rajasthan.

The earthquake's epicentre was in an earthquake-prone area, where earthquakes with a magnitude of six or higher are common. Nearby in 2018 was a comparable 6.1-magnitude earthquake that was also felt throughout most of northern India.

It is crucial to understand that an earthquake's strength refers to the amount of energy it contains, but its magnitude measures the size of the waves. As magnitude is calculated using a logarithmic scale, an earthquake with a magnitude of 6 will produce seismic waves that are 10 times more powerful than an earthquake with a magnitude of 5. For every change of one magnitude, the energy disparity is much bigger, 32 times higher.

Since they release more energy when they hit the surface, shallow earthquakes are typically more destructive. When deeper earthquakes reach the surface, they have lost a lot of their energy. The seismic waves from deeper earthquakes travel farther and flow radially upward to the surface, even though they use more energy doing so. As a result, India is not likely to sustain significant damage from the current tremors.

The Western Himalayas are still among the world's most hazardous seismic regions, nevertheless. Experts predict that a large earthquake with a magnitude greater than 8 will occur at any time in the Himalayan region, which spans 2,500 km from the Hindu Kush mountains to the end of Arunachal Pradesh. This is a result of the enormous energy that has been trapped along the fault lines by the ongoing collision of several tectonic plates. Only enormous earthquakes are capable of releasing the energy.

The most frequent natural hazard that cannot be forecast, earthquakes continue to be unpredictable despite technology breakthroughs. As a result, there can be no early warning systems created. The lead time between the moment of the earthquake's inception and when it reaches the Earth's surface may theoretically be a few seconds. Seismic waves move between 5 and 13 km/s, which is much slower than the speed of light. So, information regarding an earthquake can be related a few seconds before it touches the ground if it is identified as soon as it is triggered.

Due to the fact that earthquakes can result in substantial damage, it is crucial to be ready for emergencies. Governments must make investments in earthquake-resistant structures and infrastructure, and people must be aware of what to do in the event of one, such as finding cover behind a sturdy piece of furniture or in a doorway, away from windows and potentially hazardous things. In case of a crisis, it's also critical to have ready access to emergency kits and supplies including food, water, and first aid kits.

I'll sum up by saying that the recent earthquake in Afghanistan serves as a reminder of how destructive and erratic earthquakes may be. Even though the tremors were felt in various locations in North India, they are not likely to do much harm. In the event of an emergency, it is vital to be ready and take the appropriate steps.