Experts sound quake warning bell for Nepal.

I found this article and thought it would be of interest to you all since I could not find it posted here already.

Geologists say it is only a matter of time before a major earthquake hits Nepal’s densely populated capital Kathmandu, where 2.5mn people live in cramped, poorly-built housing with little or no awareness of the dangers. Nepal sits on the border between two huge plates that have moved together over millions of years to form the Himalayas. Geologists believe it is at risk from an earthquake with a magnitude of around eight - 10 times as powerful as the Haiti shock that killed more than 212,000 people. Nepal has not suffered a major quake for decades, and expert David Petley believes the troubled country is woefully unprepared. “From a geological perspective the risk seems to be very large indeed,” said Petley, Wilson professor of hazard and risk at Britain’s Durham University. “The area to the west of Kathmandu is undergoing the processes that drive earthquakes, and there has not been a quake on that section of the fault for hundreds of years.

Gulf Times article

The Himalayan Times article.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/c882d1443a8a.jpg[/atsimg]

This is what typical housing construction looks like in Kathmandu.

Kathmandu has a population of 2.5 million people and only 8 fire trucks.

This would be a logistical nightmare that would surpass Haiti.

[edit on 16-2-2010 by Oneolddude]

[edit on 16-2-2010 by Oneolddude]

reply to post by Oneolddude


This is truly a dire situation but I honestly see no relevant way to predict these things. The only thing that should be done is precautions should be taken in ALL areas located among "problem plates" so as to ensure minimal damage. There is no way to diffuse mother nature.

But pardon my ignorance... but an 8 on the scale is 10 times more powerful than the Haiti quake? Isn't that scale a little convoluted if that is the case? I'm not an earthquake expert but I figure and 8 compared to a 7 wouldn't be 10 times as powerful.

Originally posted by gwydionblack
reply to post by Oneolddude

 

But pardon my ignorance... but an 8 on the scale is 10 times more powerful than the Haiti quake? Isn't that scale a little convoluted if that is the case? I'm not an earthquake expert but I figure and 8 compared to a 7 wouldn't be 10 times as powerful.

That was my first reaction years ago when I first heard about how the Richter scale functions, but then I found out that it is not a linear scale. It is something akin to a logarhythmatic scale. Each level is exponentially higher than the last.

Link to the Wiki en.wikipedia.org...

The difference in magnitude is a factor 31.6 (we normally calculate on 32 for ease) There is a MASSIVE difference between a 7 and and 8, and a 9 is about 1000 time the energy.

reply to post by gwydionblack


Seismologists can monitor tectonic plates. They have means to measure pressure build up. Quakes can be predicted even if it is still a hit or miss science. They've also become pretty good at predicting volcanic eruptions.