Nepal 2015 Earthquake May Have Had Fewer Landslides Due to Massive Uplift

Nepal's earthquake in April 2015 was frightening. It killed thousands of people and left others without homes. Now, though, researchers have announced that there were far fewer landslides from this devastating earthquake than expected-and have found out why that is.

"It was a really bad earthquake-over 9,000 fatalities in four countries, primarily Nepal," said Jeffrey Kargel, one of the researchers, in a news release. "As horrific as this was, the situation could have been far worse for an earthquake of this magnitude."

In this case, the researchers used satellite imagery to identify the areas affected after the earthquake. They documented damage and identified areas of need. The researchers also used computer models to evaluate the likelihood that the downstream edges of glacial lakes would collapse and flood villages and valleys below.

The researchers found that the 4,391 landslides that happened within six weeks after the quake were far fewer than occurred after similar-magnitude quakes in other mountainous areas. The researchers also saw that only nine glacial lakes were affected by the landslides and that there wasn't any flooding from these lakes.

But why was this? The scientists looked at past quakes and land shifts and found that in areas where the land surface had risen, there was less chance of landslide.

"Seismologists recorded relatively less shaking with seismometers in Kathmandu and other locations, and the smaller number of landslides suggests the shaking may have been reduced in the whole area," said Eric Fielding, one of the researchers.

The findings reveal a bit more about landslides, and give a better understanding to researchers about landslides around the world.

The findings are published in the journal Science.

Related Articles

How Ants Evolved Their Sex Determination Traits

Monarch Butterfly's Seasonal Migration May Lower Infection Levels

For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).