Earthquakes happen due to movement of the Earth’s crust. The movement releases enormous energy. This energy is spread outwards. The source of the movement is termed as the epicenter. Earthquakes can cause mass calamity. They are more dangerous in urban regions where high rise buildings are common. In thickly populated cities, Earthquakes can be devastating. There are multiple causes or reasons for earthquakes in India. The following are the top ten reasons for Earthquakes in India.
1. Volcanic activity
Exploding volcanoes release tremendous energy which offsets the Earth’s crust. This is the reason many earthquakes happen in and around volcanic regions. Earthquakes happening due to volcanic eruptions are called volcanic earthquakes.
2. Folding and faulting
When a fracture occurs in the plane on which the Earth’s crust resides, an earthquake can happen. This type of earthquake is caused either by vertical or horizontal displacements. The movement of rocks along these fractures causes the movement of earth’s crust.
3. Plate tectonics
The Earth’s surface is composed of plates. These plates are always moving. When these plates move, their margins become sites of earthquakes. That is why earthquakes are found to be frequent in plate boundaries.
4. Nuclear bombs
Human beings test nuclear bombs underground. The explosion releases shock waves. This situation can cause a minor earthquake. The overlying rocks become unstable. They shift their position. It induces a mass chain reaction of shifting rocks.
5. Construction activities
Blasting of rocks for construction work is common. Rocks are needed for construction. Blasts release energy and render the Earth’s crust unstable. In mountainous regions, rocks that were lying for millions of years could shift. A small shift releases outward energy that renders the whole region unstable. In this event, an earthquake happens.
6. Underground mining
Deep underground mining creates big gaps beneath the Earth’s surface. This does not do much for the stability of the Earth’s upper layer. Also, mining involves the use of explosives and bombs to blast open rocks. Similar to nuclear bombs, and construction related bombs, explosions for mining release shock waves.
7. Dams and reservoirs
Water held in dams and reservoirs exerts tremendous pressure on the ground surface. The ground surface spreads this pressure across to sustain itself. This is a natural phenomenon. But over a period of time, water disturbs the equilibrium of the Earth’s surface. The pressure could build up in a way so as to produce mild tremors. Over a period of time, a full-fledged earthquake can happen.
8. Landslides
Avalanches and landslides disturb the equilibrium of the Earth’s crust. They cause the Earth’s crust to send shock waves as a means to release and distribute energy. Landslides exert tremendous force on the Earth’s crust, which can even cause a full-blown plate movement several kilometers below the Earth’s crust.
9. Injecting liquid waste into the ground
In many parts of India, certain industries inject waste into the ground’s surface as a means of disposal. This process causes instability of the Earth’s crust and could lead to earthquakes.
10. Creating high rise buildings on inappropriate land
The creation of high rise buildings on land that is not capable of withstanding such pressure can cause Earthquakes.
