Quite shallow: Seismologist

ATTN. NEWS EDITOR - THE HINDU A DIGESTER AHEAD : This is the scene of a open coal mine in Ledu area, Tinsukia district of Upper Assam on Tuesday, May 10, 2005. The area seen in this picture is one of the small part of the whole coal mine. No forest cover can be seen for miles in these hills due to continuos mining, which once covered with thick forest cover. Thousand of people residing near by these hills are now living in real fear as a small earth quake can destroy the whole area. No civilian is allowed to move around this are and don't even allow to take picture. PHOTO: RITU_RAJ_KONWAR NICAID:110956005

The high magnitude ( 6.3 on Richter scale) earthquake which rocked Assam and other North-eastern States at 2.24 pm on Monday might be due "loading and unloading" of stresses in the Himayalan region consequent to the 7.8 magnitude tremor that occurred in the Andaman islands last month.

This view was expressed by R. Chadha, a senior seismologist at the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI). The seismic observatory at NGRI recorded today’s tremor whose epicentre was located in Bhutan, about 130 km from Guwahati. He said the temblor was quite shallow and that was the reason for being felt over a wide area.

He said an earthquake measuring 6.3 in that region was not surprising as it was seismically active. The region was prone to temblors of magnitude greater than eight. The Indian plate was colliding with two different plates—Eurasian plate in the North and Burmese plate in the East. This phenomenon would lead to accumulation of lot stress.

The seismologists at NGRI are monitoring the situation to see if there would be any aftershocks and their pattern, if any.