Delhi Earthquake: What magnitude of earthquake can be dangerous and fatal for you?

Delhi Earthquake: The Delhi-NCR area was shaken by the earthquake on Friday night. The tremors were so strong that they created panic among many people. The intensity was estimated at 6.4 on the Richter scale. According to the National Centre for Seismology, strong earthquake tremors were felt at around 11:32 pm.

The earthquake was felt for about one and a half minutes.

In such a situation, it is important for you to understand how dangerous an earthquake can be.

In what magnitude of earthquake, you might be in danger?

What magnitudes of Richter scale earthquakes can cause devastation in India? 

Understand why earthquakes occur?

Our earth is situated on tectonic plates.

Below this is liquid lava.

These plates keep floating continuously and sometimes collide with each other.

Due to repeated collisions, sometimes the corners of the plates bend and when there is too much pressure, these plates start breaking.

In such a situation, energy coming from below finds a way out. Earthquakes occur due to this disturbance.

How intensity of earthquake is determined?

The theory of the Richter scale is used to measure earthquakes.

A Richter scale is a mathematical scale to measure the intensity of earthquake waves.

It is called Richter Magnitude Test Scale.

On the Richter scale, earthquakes are measured from 1 to 9 based on the epicentre.

This scale measures intensity based on the energy released from within the earth during an earthquake.

How intense is the danger?

The intensity of each earthquake is kept in a different category.

Earthquakes with magnitude 2.5 to 5.4 are in the minor category.

An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.5 to 6 is considered a mildly dangerous earthquake.

There is a possibility of minor damage in this.

If an earthquake of 6 to 7 intensity occurs, there can be damage in a highly populated area.

At the same time, earthquakes of 7 to 7.09 are considered dangerous, in which there is a possibility of cracks in buildings or their collapse.

All earthquakes with intensity above this level are kept in the extremely dangerous category.

India is divided into seismic zones

Seismic Zone- This directly means high-risk seismic area. Meaning, the place where the probability of earthquake occurring is high.

India is divided into Zones 2 to 5.

The most dangerous of these is Seismic Zone 5, where there is a possibility of an earthquake of 8 to 9 intensity.

About 11 per cent of India falls in Zone 5.

Eighteen per cent falls in the fourth zone and 30 per cent in the third zone.

The remaining parts fall in the first and second zones.