The United States Geological Survey recorded
a Magnitude 5.1 Earthquake at a depth of 100.3 km in Sagaing Region, Myanmar, about 70 km to the southeast Indian border, slightly before 5.35 pm local time (slightly before 11.05 am GMT) on Saturday 4 May 2019.
There are no reports of any damage or injuries following this event,
though a large number of people have reported feeling it across much of northeastern India, which
is roughly what would be expected of a quake of this size at this
depth, which releases a lot of energy, but where that energy dispersed
over a wide area before it reaches the surface.
The approximate location of the 4 May 2019 Sagaing Region Earthquake. USGS.
Myanmar
is an area fairly prone to Earthquakes; much of the country lies on the
Burma Plate, a small tectonic plate caught between the Eurasian Plate
to the northeast, the Indian Plate to the west and southwest and the
Sunda Plate to the southeast. As these larger plates move together the
Burma Plate is being squeezed and fractured, with a major fault line,
the Kabaw Fault, having formed across much of the north of the country,
along which the Burma Plate is slowly splitting. Most Earthquakes in the
region are caused by movement on this fault.
Witness
accounts of Earthquakes can help geologists to understand these events,
and the structures that cause them. The international non-profit
organisation Earthquake Report is interested in hearing from people who
may have felt this event; if you felt this quake then you can report it to Earthquake Report here.
See also...
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