Magnitude 5.1 Earthquake in the Sagaing Region of Myanmar.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 5.1 Earthquake at a depth of 1002.9 km in Sagaing Region, Myanmar, about 22 km to the southeast of the town of Mawlaik, at about 8.50 am local time (about 2.20 am GMT) on Saturday 14 November 2020. There are no reports of any injuries following this event, although people have reported feeling it in areas of northeastern India and Bangladesh hundreds of kilometres from the epicentre; this is typical of Earthquakes at this sort of depth, with the energy released by the quake dispersing over a wide horizonatal area before reaching the surface.

The approximate location of the 14 November 2020 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.

 

The movement of the Burma and surrounding plates. Sheth et al. (2011).

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.

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