Three teams visited earthquake affected areas in Kalaburagi, Vijayapura and Bidar districts on 8-9 November
Teams of seismologists, who visited the earthquake-hit areas in Kalaburagi, Vijayapura and Bidar districts for two days, found “new signs” specific to the region with respect to the mild earthquakes recorded recently.
He shared his findings with media persons on November 9 after a meeting with senior officials at the District Administrative Complex in Kalaburagi.
Dr. BC Prabhakar, Professor of Geology (Retd), University of Bengaluru, who was part of one of the teams, said that the limestone layers in Kalaburagi district and the sand layers in Vijayapura district give new indications on the frequent earthquakes in the region. Huh.
“Kalaburgi and Vijayapura districts have similar layers of the earth inside, with limestone in the former and sand in the latter. However, we need in-depth seismic studies for better understanding,” said Mr. Prabhakar.
Asked whether the heavy rains in the last few years were the cause of earthquakes, Mr Prabhakar said he would not rule out the possibility.
“Most of the tremors in the region are recorded during monsoon. The soil layers in this area were made of limestone. The chemical reaction of limestone upon contact with water can discolor limestone layers and create a vacuum. The collapse of the layers will, in turn, bring about movement in the earth’s surface, and this is easily felt in this region as the surface is made up of loose black soil,” said Mr. Prabhakar.
peak shivering
Based on his observations of the earthquake, Mr. Prabhakar said that an earthquake of magnitude 4.1 on the Richter scale in Kalaburagi district appears to be the peak of earthquake events in the region.
“There is very little chance of tremors of higher intensity in the near future. People need not worry. To stay safe, the district administration is working on building sheds in earthquake-affected villages with lighter materials.
Alluding to people’s apprehensions that the National Thermal Power Corporation’s plant at Kudgi may cause tremors in Vijayapura district, Mr. Prabhakar said that the tremors are mainly due to the pressure created inside the earth after the collision of different layers , and not due to human activity.
“There is evidence that large-scale mining activity and huge dams can cause small tremors. But, there is no evidence of power stations causing earthquakes. Things like power stations are small objects on the vast Earth, like an ant on an elephant, and they cannot disturb the Earth’s inner layers,” he said.
He would not recommend relocating villages hit by frequent earthquakes.
“There is not an inch on the earth where there is no chance of an earthquake. Earth records about one million earthquakes every year. If we keep shifting earthquake-recording habitats, the whole of Nepal will have to be shifted. The tremors recorded in the area were less than a magnitude 4.0 on the Richter scale, and they are very minor. We are on the stable terrain of South India, and there is nothing to worry about,” Mr. Prabhakar said.
Three teams led by two seismologists visited earthquake-affected areas of Kalaburagi, Vijayapura and Bidar districts on November 8-9.
Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) commissioner Manoj Rajan, who coordinates the teams’ movements, said a comprehensive report compiling the findings of all the teams would be submitted to the government within five days.
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