The April-May 2015 Nepal Earthquake
Sequence
The April 25, 2015 M 7.8 Gorkha Earthquake and its Aftershocks,
including the May 12, 2015 M 7.3 Event
Earthquake Educational Slides
Created & Compiled by Gavin Hayes
U.S. Geological Survey, National Earthquake Information Center
Contributions from:
Rich Briggs, Kishor Jaiswal, Dan McNamara, David Wald, Harley Benz,
Mike Hearne, Paul Earle
USGS Geological Hazards Science Center
M7.8, 06:11 UTC (11:56 locally) April 25, 2015
Mainshock fatalities ~ 8,500 (as of 05/15)
05/12 Aftershock: fatalities > 100
image from [Link];
Narendra Shrestha, EPA
USGS Event Page: [Link]
us20002926#general_summary
!
USGS Earthquake Summary Poster: [Link]
eqarchives/poster/2015/[Link]
Earthquake Notification
Event pages linked directly from text messages; instant
access to all event-based info in new, phone-friendly web
format.
Overview
M 7.8 mainshock
on 04-25, ~80 km
NW of Kathmandu.
Historic EQs
Sequence EQs
Overview
M 7.8 mainshock
on 04-25, ~80 km
NW of Kathmandu.
~100
subsequent
aftershocks, most
east of mainshock.
M 7.3 aftershock
on 05-12, ~80 km
NE of Kathmandu.
Historic EQs
Sequence EQs
Overview
M 7.8 mainshock
on 04-25, ~80 km
NW of Kathmandu.
~100
subsequent
aftershocks, most
east of mainshock.
M 7.3 aftershock
on 05-12, ~80 km
NE of Kathmandu.
Most EQs shallow
angle thrust
faulting; likely on
decollement of
Himalaya Thrust.
Some normal
fault aftershocks.
Historic EQs
Sequence EQs
Overview
Mainshock slip
directed east from
hypocenter,
towards Kathmandu.
!
Peak slip >4m.
Dimensions
~120 x 80 km.
!
Similar location
and extent to
1833 M~7.7 EQ.
Adjacent to 1934
M 8+ EQ.
Historic EQs
Sequence EQs
Overview
Mainshock slip
directed east from
hypocenter,
towards Kathmandu.
!
Peak slip >4m.
Dimensions
~120 x 80 km.
!
Similar location
and extent to
1833 M~7.7 EQ.
Adjacent to 1934
M 8+ EQ.
!
M7.3 aftershock
at NE extent of
mainshock; slip
close to 4m,
dimensions
~40 x 30 km.
Resolvable NW
rotation wrt 4-25
EQ.
Historic EQs
Sequence EQs
Time History
Aftershocks are earthquakes
that occur following a large EQ,
in the same general area
as that EQ, during the following
days-to-years. Both the M 7.8
Gorkha mainshock and the
M 7.3 aftershock, have
triggered aftershocks.
!
Two M 6.6-6.7 aftershocks
within 48 hrs of mainshock.
!
Subsequent aftershock
sequence decayed rapidly,
until M7.3 aftershock
on 05-12, 17 days after
mainshock.
!
Increase in aftershock
activity since M7.3
event, including a M6.3
aftershock soon after
that EQ.
Tectonic Context - Cross-Section
Generalized cross section showing the approximate locations of slip
during the 25 April and 12 May 2015 ruptures on the Main Himalayan
Thrust, and approximate aftershock locations of both events.
!
MFT = Main Frontal Thrust, MBT = Main Boundary Thrust, MCT = Main
Central Thrust.
!
Cross section generalized after Lave and Avouac, 2001 and Kumar et al.,
2006.
Scale of Hazard
The Ganges Delta of northern India has
extremely high population density, in an area
very close to historic great earthquakes,
and/or plate boundary sections with
demonstrated high strain accumulation.
ShakeMap
April 25th 2015
Broad, very
strong-severe
shaking,
elongated
eastward from
hypocenter by
EQ finiteness.
!
!
Shaking
estimates
in epicentral
region are
poorly
constrained
due to fewer
intensity
observations
(as well as lack
of strong
motion data).
ShakeMap
May 12th 2015
Predominantly
strong-very
strong
shaking,
focussed
around
aftershock
hypocenter
(smaller
source
dimensions).
ShakeMap
EQs Combined
Combined
shaking
intensity
dominated by
mainshock.
ShakeMap
EQs Differenced
Combined
shaking
intensity
dominated by
mainshock.
!
Aftershock
shaking only
higher than
mainshock
in eastern
Nepal, where
population is
lower.
PAGER
April 25th 2015
Combination of broad, very strongsevere shaking leads to high
exposure and thus an internationallevel alert; large numbers of
fatalities, and economic losses.
Median loss estimation:
~ 9,000 fatalities
~ $4B direct economic loss
!
-
EQ occurred during work hours
(many people were outdoors)
!
-
Housing in rural areas are onetwo story construction, with a
relatively lighter roof (Tins/GI
sheets). High damage rate even at
low shaking, but often leads to low
fatality rates.
!
-
Majority of newer, multi-story
buildings performed reasonably
well (sustained damage, but did
not collapse).
Exposure
April 25th 2015
bars represent population/km2; color shaking intensity
by Kishor Jaiswal, USGS GHSC
PAGER
May 12th 2015
Smaller sized EQ, and smaller
source dimensions, leads to
strong-very strong shaking in a
more focussed, lower population
area.
!
Median loss estimation:
~ 160 fatalities
~ $60M direct economic loss
Exposure
May 12th 2015
bars represent population/km2; color shaking intensity
by Kishor Jaiswal, USGS GHSC
PAGER
Alert Levels
Median Est.
Median Est.
Median Est.
Median Est.
Scale of Hazard
The Ganges Delta of northern India has
extremely high population density, in an area
very close to historic great earthquakes,
and/or plate boundary sections with
demonstrated high strain accumulation.
