Seismic experts say Medaram earthquake is normal

Earthquake Strikes Telangana's Medaram Region

A moderate earthquake of magnitude 5 occurred at 7:27 am on Wednesday near Medaram in Mulugu, Telangana. Experts say such events are not unusual in the peninsular shield region of the Indian tectonic plate and happen periodically.

Dr. Prakash Kumar, director of the CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), described the earthquake as a shallow one, occurring at a depth of approximately 10 km. The tremors were felt in various areas, including Hyderabad and Vijayawada, across the two Telugu states.

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Earthquake Characteristics and Region

The earthquake was identified as a strike-slip earthquake, which occurs when two blocks of the earth’s crust move horizontally along fault lines, releasing built-up stress. In this case, it happened in the Godavari Rift Valley, a known weak zone. A network of seismic stations operated by NGRI recorded the event. The institute maintains 150-180 seismic stations across the country for monitoring such phenomena.

Team Deployed to Epicenter

Dr. Prakash Kumar stated that a team of seismologists would travel to the epicenter to install a strong motion seismograph to monitor potential aftershocks. This was the first earthquake of magnitude 5 or higher in the region in over 50 years. The last significant quake was in 1969, when a 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck Bhadrachalam. Other notable past quakes include a 4.3-magnitude event in Medchal (1983) and a 4.6-magnitude tremor in Pulichintala (2021).

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Possibility of Aftershocks

According to M. Sekhar, Principal Scientist of the Seismology Group at NGRI, aftershocks could follow this earthquake. However, there is no definitive timeline for when they may occur—they could happen within hours, days, or even months.

Not Unusual for Peninsular Shield

Former NGRI chief scientist R.K. Chadha explained that moderate earthquakes of magnitude 5 and above are not unusual in the peninsular shield region, which falls in Seismic Zone III (a moderately active zone in India). These earthquakes occur due to tectonic stress accumulated over many years.

While the Himalayan region is extremely active and falls in Seismic Zone V, producing frequent and larger earthquakes (magnitude 8 and above), the peninsular shield is considered a low-stress regime, experiencing such events less frequently.

Shallow Earthquakes and Their Reach

Shallow earthquakes like Wednesday’s can be felt up to 200 km or more, depending on their magnitude. Larger earthquakes, such as the Latur earthquake of 1993 (magnitude 6.3), have been felt over even greater distances, including Hyderabad. In the Peninsular Shield, intra-plate earthquakes typically occur along weak zones like the Godavari Rift Valley and the Narmada-Son Rift Valley.

Natural Phenomenon

Dr. Chadha emphasized that this earthquake is a natural phenomenon and is not linked to climate change. Such events are part of the Earth’s natural tectonic processes.

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