On April 25th this year, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked the Kathmandu Valley region of Nepal, and surrounding nations including India, Tibet, Bangladesh, and China. Though this earthquake is the most destructive in the past 80 years (in pertinence to that region), it’s the second-most destructive one in Nepal’s history as of thus far, the largest being 8.0 magnitude on the Richter scale in 1934 (Al Jazeera). The death toll initially skyrocketed due to poor infrastructure, a delay in civil services (i.e. military and medical assistance, collapse of hospitals, etc.), and that the nation is considered lesser-developed; the death toll has stabilized somewhat in the month since the earthquake’s occurrence. The official death toll doesn’t, however, include those who are still missing, injured, or deaths in rural areas.
In general, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake is fairly severe, simply because of its rank on the Richter scale. Severity can vary depending on the region, not just due to the displacement of the material Earth in and of itself, but also due to the advancement of sociological and economic development of said region. When people envision earthquakes, they most often think of how many people died. Many don’t think of the indirect effects that also result. Granted, more developed nations generally don’t see as catastrophic of consequences when it comes to earthquakes because they often have more advanced and resilient architecture, more medically advanced healthcare systems, and more efficient systems of infrastructure and communication.
of how many people died. Many don’t think of the indirect effects that also result. Granted, more developed nations generally don’t see as catastrophic of consequences when it comes to earthquakes because they often have more advanced and resilient architecture, more medically advanced healthcare systems, and more efficient systems of infrastructure and communication. That being said, that Nepal and the surrounding region is not particularly developed is the reason that the indirect consequences of the earthquake were so much more devastating.
In my earth environments lecture at college, around the time of the event, we learned that a massive area was geologically displaced in and around Nepal (roughly seventy five miles by thirty miles) by three feet in height (give or take) due to the earthquake, which was also intense enough to have decreased the height of Mount Everest by a full inch. According to the Wall Street Journal, the epicenter was the district of Gorkha, located on the north central boundary of Nepal, and the focus located 7 miles below the surface (unusually close to the surface in USGS standards).