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EarthquakezonesofIndiaWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

EarthquakezonesofIndia
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

TheIndiansubcontinenthasahistoryofdevastating
earthquakes.Themajorreasonforthehigh
frequencyandintensityoftheearthquakesisthatthe
IndianplateisdrivingintoAsiaatarateof
approximately47mm/year.[1]Geographicalstatistics
ofIndiashowthatalmost54%ofthelandis
vulnerabletoearthquakes.AWorldBank&United
Nationsreportshowsestimatesthataround200
millioncitydwellersinIndiawillbeexposedto
stormsandearthquakesby2050.[2]Thelatest
versionofseismiczoningmapofIndiagiveninthe
earthquakeresistantdesigncodeofIndia[IS1893
(Part1)2002]assignsfourlevelsofseismicityfor
Indiaintermsofzonefactors.Inotherwords,the
earthquakezoningmapofIndiadividesIndiainto4
seismiczones(Zone2,3,4and5)unlikeits
previousversionwhichconsistedoffiveorsixzones
forthecountry.Accordingtothepresentzoning
map,Zone5expectsthehighestlevelofseismicity
whereasZone2isassociatedwiththelowestlevelof
seismicity.

EarthquakehazardzoningmapofIndia

Contents
1CenterforSeismology
2Zone5
3Zone4
4Zone3
5Zone2
6Zone1
7Seealso
8Notes
9Externallinks

CenterforSeismology
CenterforSeismology,MinistryofEarthSciencesisnodalagencyofGovernmentofIndiadealingwith
variousactivitiesinthefieldofseismologyandallieddisciplines.Themajoractivitiescurrentlybeing
pursuedbytheCenterforSeismologyinclude,a)earthquakemonitoringon24X7basis,includingreal
timeseismicmonitoringforearlywarningoftsunamis,b)Operationandmaintenanceofnational
seismologicalnetworkandlocalnetworksc)Seismologicaldatacentreandinformationservices,d)
Seismichazardandriskrelatedstudiese)Fieldstudiesforaftershock/swarmmonitoring,siteresponse
studiesf)earthquakeprocessesandmodelling,etc.[3]TheMSK(MedvedevSponheuerKarnik)intensity
broadlyassociatedwiththevariousseismiczonesisVI(orless),VII,VIIIandIX(andabove)forZones
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2,3,4and5,respectively,correspondingtoMaximumConsideredEarthquake(MCE).TheIScode
followsadualdesignphilosophy:(a)underlowprobabilityorextremeearthquakeevents(MCE)the
structuredamageshouldnotresultintotalcollapse,and(b)undermorefrequentlyoccurringearthquake
events,thestructureshouldsufferonlyminorormoderatestructuraldamage.Thespecificationsgivenin
thedesigncode(IS1893:2002)arenotbasedondetailedassessmentofmaximumgroundacceleration
ineachzoneusingadeterministicorprobabilisticapproach.Instead,eachzonefactorrepresentsthe
effectiveperiodpeakgroundaccelerationsthatmaybegeneratedduringthemaximumconsidered
earthquakegroundmotioninthatzone.
Eachzoneindicatestheeffectsofanearthquakeataparticularplacebasedontheobservationsofthe
affectedareasandcanalsobedescribedusingadescriptivescalelikeModifiedMercalliintensity
scale[4]ortheMedvedevSponheuerKarnikscale.[5]

Zone5
Zone5coverstheareaswiththehighestriskszonethatsuffersearthquakesofintensityMSKIXor
greater.TheIScodeassignszonefactorof0.36forZone5.Structuraldesignersusethisfactorfor
earthquakeresistantdesignofstructuresinZone5.Thezonefactorof0.36isindicativeofeffective
(zeroperiod)levelearthquakeinthiszone.ItisreferredtoastheVeryHighDamageRiskZone.The
regionofKashmir,thewesternandcentralHimalayas,NorthBihar,theNorthEastIndianregionandthe
RannofKutchfallinthiszone.
Generally,theareashavingtraprockorbasalticrockarepronetoearthquakes.

Zone4
ThiszoneiscalledtheHighDamageRiskZoneandcoversareasliabletoMSKVIII.TheIScode
assignszonefactorof0.24forZone4.TheIndoGangeticbasinandthecapitalofthecountry(Delhi),
JammuandKashmirfallinZone4.InMaharashtra,thePatanarea(Koyananager)isalsoinzoneno4.
InBiharthenorthernpartofthestatelikeRaksaul,NeartheborderofIndiaandNepal,isalsoinzone
no4that"almost80percentofbuildingsinDelhiwillyieldtoamajorquakeandincaseofan
unfortunatedisaster,thepoliticalhubofIndiainLutyensDelhi,theglitzofConnaughtPlaceandthe
magnificenceoftheWalledCitywillallcomecrumblingdown."
SaketSumanofTheStatesmanreportedonNewDelhi'sproximitytoamajorquakeinhisreport[6][7]

Zone3
TheAndamanandNicobarIslands,partsofKashmir,WesternHimalayasfallunderthiszone.Thiszone
isclassifiedasModerateDamageRiskZonewhichisliabletoMSKVII.andalso7.8TheIScode
assignszonefactorof0.16forZone3.

Zone2
ThisregionisliabletoMSKVIorlessandisclassifiedastheLowDamageRiskZone.TheIScode
assignszonefactorof0.10(maximumhorizontalaccelerationthatcanbeexperiencedbyastructurein
thiszoneis10%ofgravitationalacceleration)forZone2.

Zone1
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SincethecurrentdivisionofIndiaintoearthquakehazardzonesdoesnotuseZone1,noareaofIndiais
classedasZone1.
Futurechangesintheclassificationsystemmayormaynotreturnthiszonetouse.

Seealso
ListofearthquakesinIndia
GeologyofIndia

Notes
1. "EarthquakeHazardsandtheCollisionbetweenIndiaandAsia".Retrieved20060513.
2. "Indiancitiesunderthreatofstorms&earthquakesby2050:WorldBank&UnitedNations".TheTimesOf
India.20111209.
3. http://www.imd.gov.in/section/seismo/static/welcome.htm
4. "VulnerabilityZonesinIndia".Retrieved20060513.
5. "LessonslearnedfromtheGujaratearthquakeWHORegionalOfficeforSouthEastAsia".Retrieved
20060513.
6. http://epaper.thestatesman.com/489813/SECTIONII/30042015#dual/1/1
7. http://www.thestatesman.com/news/voices/wreckedshipinawildsea/60339.html#u1YIrBMzdHsp1lSo.99

Externallinks
IndiaMeteorologicalDepartment(http://www.imd.gov.in/main_new.htm)
Retrievedfrom"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?
title=Earthquake_zones_of_India&oldid=687558939"
Categories: EarthquakesinIndia GeologyofIndia DisasterpreparednessinIndia
Geographicareasofseismologicalinterest Seismology Seismiczonesbycountry
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