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Earthquake hazard zoning of India

 

 
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Earthquake hazard zoning of India
 
 
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The Indian subcontinent had a long history of devastating earthquake
Earthquake

An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes are recorded with a seismometer, also known as a seismograph....
s. The major reason for the high frequency and intensity of the earthquakes is that India continues to drive into Asia
Asia

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent. It covers 8.6% of the Earth's total surface area and, with over 4 billion people, it contains more than 60% of the world's current human population....
 at a rate of appromately 47 mm/year. Geographical statistics of India show that almost 54% of the land is vulnerable to earthquakes.






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India Earthquake Zone Map En
The Indian subcontinent had a long history of devastating earthquake
Earthquake

An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes are recorded with a seismometer, also known as a seismograph....
s. The major reason for the high frequency and intensity of the earthquakes is that India continues to drive into Asia
Asia

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent. It covers 8.6% of the Earth's total surface area and, with over 4 billion people, it contains more than 60% of the world's current human population....
 at a rate of appromately 47 mm/year. Geographical statistics of India show that almost 54% of the land is vulnerable to earthquakes. The latest version of seismic zoning map of India given in the earthquake resistant design code of India [IS 1893 (Part 1) 2002] assigns four levels of seismicity for entire India in terms of different zone factors. In other words, the earthquake zoning map of India divides India into 4 seismic zones (Zone 2, 3, 4 and 5) unlike its previous version which consisted of five or six zones for the country. According to present zoning map, Zone-5 expects highest level of seismicity whereas Zone-2 is associated with lowest level of seismicity. The latest seismic zoning map can be accessed from INDIA METEOROLOGICAL DEPARTMENT website ().

The MSK (Medvedev-Sponheuer-Karnik) intensity broadly associated with the various seismic zones is VI (or less), VII, VIII and IX (and above) for Zones-2, 3, 4 and 5, respectively, corresponding to Maximum Considered Earthquake (MCE). The IS code follows a dual design philosophy: (a) under low probability or extreme earthquake events (MCE) the structure damage should not result in total collapse, and (b) under more frequently occurring earthquake events, the structure should suffer only minor or moderate structural damage. The specifications given in the design code (IS 1893: 2002) are not based on detailed assessment of maximum ground acceleration in each zone using deterministic or probabilistic approach. Instead, each zone factor represents the effective period peak ground accelerations that may be generated during maximum considered earthquake ground motion in respective zone. Each zone indicates effects of an earthquake at a particular place based on the observations of the affected areas and can also be described using a descriptive scale like Modified Mercalli intensity scale
Mercalli intensity scale

The Mercalli intensity scale is a Seismic scale used for measuring the intensity of an earthquake. The scale quantifies the effects of an earthquake on the Earth's surface, humans, objects of nature, and man-made structures on a scale of I through XII, with I denoting a weak earthquake and XII one that causes almost complete destruction....
 or the Medvedev-Sponheuer-Karnik scale
Medvedev-Sponheuer-Karnik scale

The Medvedev-Sponheuer-Karnik scale, also known as the MSK or MSK-64, is a macroseismic intensity scale used to evaluate the severity of ground shaking on the basis of observed effects in an area of the earthquake occurrence....
.

Zone 5

Zone 5 is the worst prone zone in the country. It covers the area with the highest risk zone that suffers earthquakes of intensity MSK IX or greater. The IS code assigns zone factor of 0.36 for Zone-5. Structural designers use this factor for earthquake resistant design of structures in zone-5. The zone factor of 0.36 is indicative of effective (zero period) peak horizontal ground accelerations of 0.36 g (36 % of gravity) that may be generated during MCE level earthquake in this zone. It is referred to as the Very High Damage Risk Zone. The state of Kashmir
Kashmir

Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" referred only to the valley lying between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal range; since then, it has been used for a larger area that today includes the Indian administerd state of Jammu and Kashmir consisting of the Kashmir...
, Punjab
Punjab (India)

Punjab is a States and territories of India in northwest India. The Indian state borders the Pakistani province of Punjab to the west, Jammu and Kashmir to the north, Himachal Pradesh to the northeast, Haryana to the south and southeast, Chandigarh to the southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest....
,the western and central Himalayas
Himalayas

The Himalaya Range or Himalayas for short , meaning "abode of snow" ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau....
, the North-East Indian region and the Rann of Kutch
Rann of Kutch

The Rann of Kutch is a seasonally marshy region located in the Thar Desert biogeographic province in Gujarat situated 8km away from village KHARAGHODA located in patdi town of surendra nagar districtStates and territories of India of northwestern India and the Sind Subdivisions of Pakistan of Pakistan....
 fall in this zone. Generally, the areas having trap or basaltic rock are prone to earthquakes.

Zone 4


This zone is called the High Damage Risk Zone and covers areas liable to MSK VIII. The IS code assigns zone factor of 0.24 for Zone-4. The Indo-Gangetic basin and the capital of the country(Delhi, Jammu) fall in Zone 4.

Zone 3

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Andaman and Nicobar Islands

The Andaman & Nicobar Islands is a union territory of India.Informally, the territory's name is often abbreviated to A & N Islands, or ANI....
, parts of Kashmir
Kashmir

Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" referred only to the valley lying between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal range; since then, it has been used for a larger area that today includes the Indian administerd state of Jammu and Kashmir consisting of the Kashmir...
, Western Himalayas fall under this zone. This zone is classified as Moderate Damage Risk Zone which is liable to MSK VII. The IS code assigns zone factor of 0.16 for Zone-3.

Zone 2

This region is liable to MSK VI or less and is classified as the Low Damage Risk Zone. The IS code assigns zone factor of 0.10 (maximum horizontal acceleration that can be experienced by a structure in this zone is 10 % of gravitational acceleration) for Zone-2.