By Dave Pulver
A major earthquake in Myanmar on Friday has caused more than 1,600 deaths and led to the collapse of numerous structures. It occurred due to “strike-slip faulting” between the India and Eurasia tectonic plates. This type of faulting involves the plates rubbing sideways against each other, which can release significant energy and cause intense shaking.
Despite Bangkok being over 1,000 km away from the epicenter, the quake’s shallow depth of just 10 km meant the shockwaves were not dissipated as they traveled to the surface. This resulted in severe shaking that caused the collapse of an unfinished high-rise building in Bangkok.
The earthquake’s impact was felt across the region, including in Thailand and China, even though these countries are not typically high-risk areas for such events. The shallow depth and the powerful release of energy contributed to the widespread damage and high death toll.
Source
Bio: Dave Pulver is a Contributing writer for NFN. A retired communications engineer of 35 years, his interests include technology, history, civics, and politics.
Discover more from News Facts Network
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
