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Quiz Time districts of the country. There were more than 9000
people killed and more than 23,000 were injured in
Tick (3) the correct answer : Nepal.
1. The magnitude of an earthquake is measured on Centuries old buildings were destroyed at UNESCO
the seismograph /Richter scale . World Heritage sites in the Kathmandu Valley,
2. The earth’s crust is made up of 15 major and including some at the Kathmandu Durbar Square,
several large /minor plates. the Patan Durbar Square, the Changu Narayan
Temple and the Swayambhunath Stupa.
3. The place right above the focus is called the
epicentre /tectonic movement. Besides, the earthquake also affected some
neighbouring countries of Nepal like India where
4. The high waves of seawater which cause damage about 130 people died and 560 were injured. In
are called earthquakes /tsunami .
China, about 27 people died and 383 were injured,
Case Study : Devastating Earthquake of Nepal and in Bangladesh, where about 4 death and 200
injuries reported.
On 25 April, 2015 at 11:41 AM, a devastating
earthquake occured in Nepal. The earthquake was Geophysicists and other experts had warned for
rated at 7.8 MW. Its epicentre was towards the east decades that Nepal was vulnerable to a deadly
of the district of Lamjung and its hypocentre was earthquake, particularly because of its geology,
at a depth of approximately 8.2 km. The location, urbanisation and architecture.
magnitude and focal mechanism of the earthquake
suggest that it was caused by slip along the main Activity
frontal thrust. It was the worst natural disaster to Collect pictures of the devastation that takes place
strike Nepal since the 1934 Nepal-Bihar after an earthquake from newspapers/periodicals/
earthquake. internet and paste them in your scrapbook.
After this earthquake, continued aftershocks
occured throughout Nepal within 15-20 minute MOVEMENT OF WATER, ICE AND WIND
intervals, with one shock reaching a magnitude of The earth’s surface undergoes a change due to
6.7 on 26 April at 12:39 PM. The country also had a weathering and erosion . The sun, wind, ice, water
continued risk of landslides. An another major or rain weather the surface and break it down. The
aftershock occurred on 12 May, 2015 at 12:36 PM broken particles are carried away by erosion by
which was rated at 7.3 MW. Its epicentre was near the movement of water, ice and wind. The
the Chinese border between the capital of movement of water in rivers carries sediments with
Kathmandu and Mount Everest. More than 200 it and deposits them in the plains. The movement
people were killed and about 2500 people were of ice in glaciers pushes rocks and broken stones
injured by this aftershock. away, creating hollows. These hollows are filled
The earthquake triggered an avalanche on Mount by melted ice and thus lakes are created. When
Everest, killing at least 19 people making April 25, wind blows, you can see dust particles in it. The
2015 the deadliest day on the mountain in history. broken particles of rocks are carried away by wind
An another avalanche occured in Langtang Valley from one place to another. This phenomenon can
located in Langtang National Park where 329 be seen clearly in the deserts where sand dunes
people reported missing after this avalanche which shift from one place to another.
hit the village on Ghodatabela and the village of Landforms
Langtang. The avalanche was estimated to have
been 2 or 3 km wide. The tectonic movements occurring within the
earth result in different landforms. These
This devastating earthquake killed thousands of movements are very gradual and occur in two
people and made a large number of people types—vertical movement and horizontal
homeless with entire villages flattened across many
movement.
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