SCIENCE

A strong earthquake rocked Nepal early Saturday, destroying buildings, damaging historic temples, and killing more than 4,000 people. (Nat Geo News)

Explore the impact of the quake and the tectonically active region of Himalayas with today’s MapMaker Interactive.

Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers’ Toolkit.

 

Discussion Ideas

• In our video “Earthquakes 101,” we learn that most earthquakes are caused by the movement of tectonic plates far below Earth’s surface. What tectonic plates were interacting in the earthquake that struck Nepal? (Take a look at the third bookmark in today’s MapMaker Interactive map for some help.)
  • The Indian plate and the Eurasian plate were interacting. (Some geologists consider the Indian and Australian plate a single unit, so some sources may say the Indo-Australian plate and the Eurasian plate were interacting.)

 

• How were the plates interacting? Take a look at the classic Nat Geo map of “Earth’s Dynamic Crust” for examples of different types of tectonic activity.
  • Continental Collision. According to the “Earth’s Dynamic Crust” map, “In the greatest mountain-making process on Earth, the Indian subcontinent rams into Eurasia, creating the Himalayas. Since both continents are too light to subduct, the older, heavier Indian mass wedges under Eurasia and thrusts up the high plateaus and massive folds of the mountain range.”
    • Geologists describe the region as having a convergent plate boundary, where two or more tectonic plates bump into each other.
    • Geologists describe the Indian and Eurasian plate boundaries as forming a thrust fault across the Himalaya region. A thrust fault is a type of reverse fault, where rock is uplifted during tectonic activity, with a dip of 45 degrees or less.

 

• The Nepal quake is described of having a magnitude of about 7.8. What is magnitude? Is 7.8 a high magnitude?
  • Magnitude is a number that describes the intensity or size of an earthquake. Our “Earthquakes 101” video talks about the Richter scale of magnitude, but seismologists are far more likely to use the moment magnitude scale (MMS or simply M).
  • A 7.8 quake has a very high magnitude. The Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 had about a 7.8 magnitude. (The Tohoku Earthquake, which struck Japan in 2011, was about a magnitude 9. The Good Friday Earthquake, the worst quake to strike North America in the 20th century, had a magnitude 9.2)

 

• The Nepal quake is described as having a focal depth of 15 kilometers (9 miles). What is focal depth? Is 15 kilometers a deep focal depth?
  • The focal depth of an earthquake is how far below the surface of an earthquake’s epicenter the actual rupture took place.
  • Earthquakes can take place anywhere between one and 700 kilometers below Earth’s surface, so 15 kilometers is a pretty shallow depth. According to the USGS, shallow earthquakes are between 0 and 70 km deep; intermediate earthquakes, 70-300 km deep; and deep earthquakes, 300-700 km deep. According to our MapMaker Interactive, earthquakes with a focal depth close to the surface will usually cause more damage to people and infrastructure.

 

• The Nepal quake as resulted in fatalities across four nations surrounding the quake’s epicenter. What nations do you think suffered these fatalities and other casualties? Take a look at today’s MapMaker Interactive map for some help.
  • Nepal, India, China, and Bangladesh experienced fatalities resulting from the earthquake.
  • Learn more about this region with our fantastic country profiles: Nepal, India, China, and Bangladesh.

 

• How are governments responding to the natural disaster in Nepal?
  • Nepal: National and regional agencies are working to rescue survivors, connect families who have been separated, establish shelters, and make sure hospitals and aid stations are stocked with supplies.
  • India: India responded within 15 minutes of the quake, establishing a massive, multimillion-dollar relief network called Operation Maitri (amity, or friendship). The Indian Air Force responded quickly to the avalanche on Mount Everest, and staged the first rescue missions there. The Indian Army similarly rescued survivors and recovered bodies on the mountain. Indian organizers helped evacuate hundreds of Nepalese citizens to shelters in both Nepal and India, and sent hundreds of first-responders, search-and-rescue dogs, engineers, and medical professionals to affected areas. The tons of emergency relief material already dispatched across the border include water, tents, food, blankets, first-aid equipment, sanitation supplies, and medicine. Engineers from Indian energy companies are working to restore power and fuel lines, and crews are clearing roads of debris. Politically, the government of India has also issued “goodwill visas” to foreigners trapped in Kathmandu and evacuating them to India, easing the responsibility of its Nepali neighbors. (Way to go, India.)
  • China: China has sent search-and-rescue teams to Nepal as well as its own affected areas in Tibet, and extended more than $3 million in aid, including tents, blankets, and electrical generators.
  • Bangladesh: Officials have evacuated Bangladeshi citizens from Nepal, and extended tons of relief, including tents, food, blankets, and medical supplies.
  • Learn more about other relief efforts here. These are just a few.
    • Israel: Israeli officials responded with relief supplies and teams of medical professionals. In particular, the government has evacuated at-risk infants to facilities in India and Israel.
    • Japan: Japan has responded with its own experienced team of earthquake professionals, including teams of field operations specialists, scientists, engineers, search-and-rescue experts, and sophisticated equipment.
    • United States: U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry responded with $1 million in relief the day of the quake, and a search-and-rescue team left for Nepal almost immediately.

 

• How are international organizations responding to the natural disaster in Nepal?
  • European Union: A huge aid package includes food, water, tents, and telecommunications equipment.
    United Nations: The UN is focusing on health, issuing kits including medicine, sanitation supplies, clean water, and food.
  • Red Cross-Red Crescent: Aid and relief efforts are coordinated through the organization’s hubs in India, Thailand, and Malaysia.
  • Doctors without Borders: Teams of medical professionals have already been dispatched, and equipment includes a portable hospital with a surgical recovery room (rare in emergency medicine).

 

• How are individuals responding to the natural disaster in Nepal?
  • Many charitable organizations have established funds for the Nepali quake. Here’s a quick list.
  • Volunteer “crisis mappers” are working to locate and coordinate people, organizations, and equipment throughout Kathmandu and the entire affected region. (Learn more about crisis mapping here.)

 

TEACHERS’ TOOLKIT

Nat Geo: Nepal’s 7.8-Magnitude Quake Reaps Death, Destruction photo gallery

Nat Geo: Nepal country profile

Nat Geo: 2015 Nepal Earthquake: Factors and Influences map

Nat Geo: Earthquakes 101 video spotlight

Nat Geo: Earth’s Dynamic Crust map

USGS: M7.8 – 34km ESE of Lamjung, Nepal (this is probably your best resource for data about the earthquake)

USGS: Nepal Earthquake interactive map

OpenStreetMap: Nepal Earthquake 2015 tasks