On Friday, a strong earthquake measuring 7.7 hit near Mandalay in Myanmar, causing a lot of damage. The quake was felt not just in Myanmar but also in nearby Thailand.
How Likely is Myanmar to Experience Earthquakes?
Myanmar is located where two large pieces of the Earth’s crust, called tectonic plates, meet. This place is known for having a lot of earthquakes. The tectonic boundary between the India Plate and the Eurasia Plate runs right through the middle of Myanmar. Although big earthquakes don’t happen often in the Sagaing region, they can still be quite strong, reaching up to 7 or 8 in magnitude.
Why Was This Earthquake So Bad?
In the last few years, Sagaing has had several smaller quakes. In late 2012, a 6.8 magnitude earthquake caused at least 26 deaths. But Friday’s earthquake was likely the largest one to hit the mainland in Myanmar for the past 75 years! Experts said it was especially damaging because it happened very close to the surface, just 10 kilometers deep. When a quake is shallow, the shaking can be much stronger because the energy doesn’t have far to travel to the surface.
Is Myanmar Ready for an Earthquake?
According to the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program, this earthquake could lead to a lot of death—between 10,000 and 100,000 people—and it might cause economic damages worth up to 70% of Myanmar’s total income (GDP). Because there haven’t been many big earthquakes in this part of the country, buildings weren’t made to handle such strong shakes. Most buildings in the area might not be strong enough to survive quakes like Friday’s. The last big earthquake in the region was way back in 1956, so it’s likely that people didn’t build their homes to resist such powerful shakes.
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