Mae Chan Fault
Encyclopedia
Mae Chan Fault is a east-west strike fault in Northern Thailand
, responsible for a 6.3 magnitude quake
on May 16, 2007 that caused property damage in the provincial capital of Chiang Rai
A part of it stretches from Mae Chan
to Mae Ai
for 40 km along the highway, then goes through Fang
, Chiang Dao
, Mae Rim and San Kamphaeng districts of Chiang Mai
, to Mae Tha
district of Lamphun. A Japanese study found it is capable of producing a 7.0 magnitude quake., is considered as one of two the most "worrying" faults in Thailand.
It is part of a roughly parallel series of faults that accommodate the twisting of the northern Sunda Block from northern motion of the Indian plate at the Sagaing fault
and southern motion of China at the Red River Fault
. Among the members of this set of parallel clockwise moving faults are the Jinghong Fault stretching from Kengtung, Myanmar
to Xishuangbanna, Yunnan
, the Nan Ma Fault, Muang Houn Fault, and Dien Bien Phu Fault.
It has become "more active" since the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake
. The 2011 Burma Earthquake
hit some 20-30 km north of this fault, most likely at the roughly parallel Nan Ma Fault, killing well over 100 people.
Northern Thailand
Thailand's northern region is geographically characterised by multiple mountain ranges which continue from the Shan Hills in bordering Myanmar and Laos, and the river valleys which cut through them...
, responsible for a 6.3 magnitude quake
2007 Laos earthquake
At 3.59 p.m. on May 16, 2007, the Laos Earthquake, a magnitude 6.1 earthquake with the epicentre at 20.5N, 100.8E , struck Laos and northern Thailand. Tremors was felt as far as Yunnan, People's Republic of China, Hanoi, Vietnam and Bangkok, Thailand....
on May 16, 2007 that caused property damage in the provincial capital of Chiang Rai
Chiang Rai
-Demographics:Official Population count: According to the Thailand National Statistical Office, as of September 2010, Chiang Rai municipal district has a population of 199,699...
A part of it stretches from Mae Chan
Mae Chan
Mae Chan is a village and tambon of Mae Chan District, in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand. In 2005 it had a total population of 11,166 people. The tambon contains 14 villages.-References:...
to Mae Ai
Mae Ai
Mae Ai is a town and tambon of Mae Ai District, in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand. In 2005 it had a total population of 9,987 people. The tambon contains 22 villages.-References:...
for 40 km along the highway, then goes through Fang
Fang
Fang is a mammal's canine tooth.Fang may also refer to:* A snake's poison-injecting tooth: see snake venom* Fang people, in Central Africa* Fang language, spoken by Fang people...
, Chiang Dao
Chiang Dao
Chiang Dao is a town and tambon of Chiang Dao District, in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand. In 2005 it had a total population of 15,194 people. The tambon contains 16 villages.-References:...
, Mae Rim and San Kamphaeng districts of Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai sometimes written as "Chiengmai" or "Chiangmai", is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand. It is the capital of Chiang Mai Province , a former capital of the Kingdom of Lanna and was the tributary Kingdom of Chiang Mai from 1774 until 1939. It is...
, to Mae Tha
Mae Tha
Mae Tha is a tambon of Mae On District, in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand. In 2005 it had a total population of 4,812 people. The tambon contains 7 villages....
district of Lamphun. A Japanese study found it is capable of producing a 7.0 magnitude quake., is considered as one of two the most "worrying" faults in Thailand.
It is part of a roughly parallel series of faults that accommodate the twisting of the northern Sunda Block from northern motion of the Indian plate at the Sagaing fault
Sagaing fault
The Sagaing Fault is a major fault in Myanmar, a continental transform fault between the Indian plate and Sunda Plate that connects spreading centers in the Andaman Sea and the continental convergence zone along the Himalayan front...
and southern motion of China at the Red River Fault
Red River fault
The Red River Fault is a major fault in Yunnan, China and Vietnam which accommodates continental China's southward movement It is coupled with that of the Sagaing Fault in Myanmar which accommodates the Indian plate's northward movement, with the land in between faulted and twisted clockwise. ...
. Among the members of this set of parallel clockwise moving faults are the Jinghong Fault stretching from Kengtung, Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
to Xishuangbanna, Yunnan
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
, the Nan Ma Fault, Muang Houn Fault, and Dien Bien Phu Fault.
It has become "more active" since the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
. The 2011 Burma Earthquake
2011 Burma earthquake
The 2011 Burma earthquake was a 6.8 magnitude earthquake on 24 March 2011 that had its epicenter in the east of Shan State in Burma with a hypocenter 10 km deep. It had two aftershocks, one of magnitude 4.8, another at magnitude 5.4 and two subsequent shock at magnitude 5.0 and 6.2...
hit some 20-30 km north of this fault, most likely at the roughly parallel Nan Ma Fault, killing well over 100 people.