Myanmar and Tibet hit by series of quakes; NCS reports multiple tremors

In a post on X, the NCS said, “EQ of M: 3.3, On: 05/12/2025 20:23:04 IST, Lat: 27.07 N, Long: 96.33 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Myanmar.”

Shallow earthquakes are generally more dangerous than deeper ones because seismic waves travel a shorter distance to the surface, causing stronger ground shaking and potentially more damage and casualties. Earlier in the day, another earthquake of magnitude 3.4 hit the region at a depth of 110 km. The NCS posted, “EQ of M: 3.4, On: 05/12/2025 01:39:35 IST, Lat: 25.21 N, Long: 95.09 E, Depth: 110 Km, Location: Myanmar.”

Myanmar is vulnerable to hazards from moderate and large earthquakes and tsunami threats along its long coastline. The country is wedged between four tectonic plates—the Indian, Eurasian, Sunda, and Burma plates—that interact in active geological processes.

Following the magnitude 7.7 and 6.4 earthquakes that struck central Myanmar on March 28, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned of rapidly rising health risks for tens of thousands of displaced people, including tuberculosis (TB), HIV, and vector- and water-borne diseases. A 1,400-km transform fault runs through Myanmar, linking the Andaman spreading centre to the northern collision zone known as the Sagaing Fault. The Sagaing Fault increases seismic risks for Sagaing, Mandalay, Bago, and Yangon, which together account for 46 per cent of Myanmar’s population. Although Yangon is relatively far from the fault line, its dense population heightens its vulnerability. In 1903, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake in Bago also shook Yangon. (ANI)

In Tibet, an earthquake of magnitude 3.0 occurred at a depth of 60 km.

The NCS posted, “EQ of M: 3.0, On: 05/12/2025 20:49:07 IST, Lat: 27.97 N, Long: 88.14 E, Depth: 60 Km, Location: Tibet.”

Earlier on Thursday, a magnitude 4.3 earthquake struck Tibet at a shallow depth of 10 km, also making it susceptible to aftershocks.

In a post on X, the NCS said, “EQ of M: 4.3, On: 04/12/2025 17:29:02 IST, Lat: 29.29 N, Long: 86.80 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Tibet.”

Shallow earthquakes tend to be more hazardous because seismic waves reach the surface faster and with greater intensity, leading to stronger shaking.

The Tibetan Plateau is known for its seismic activity due to tectonic plate collisions. Tibet and Nepal lie on a major geological fault line where the Indian plate pushes into the Eurasian plate, making earthquakes frequent. Tectonic uplift in the region can even alter the heights of Himalayan peaks.

The plateau’s high elevation results from crustal thickening caused by the collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates. Faulting within the region involves both strike-slip and normal mechanisms. The plateau extends east–west, as shown by north–south-striking grabens, strike-slip faults, and GPS data.

In northern Tibet, strike-slip faulting is dominant, while in the south, east–west extension along north–south normal faults prevails.

Seven north–south rifts and normal faults in southern Tibet were first identified during the late 1970s and early 1980s through satellite imagery. These features began forming 4 to 8 million years ago due to tectonic extension.

The largest earthquakes in Tibet—around magnitude 8.0—typically occur along strike-slip faults. Normal faulting quakes tend to be smaller; in 2008, five normal-fault earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from 5.9 to 7.1 struck various parts of the plateau.