DOI: 10.5176/2251-189X_SEES14.12
Authors: R.D.Kaplay, T.Vijay Kumar, H.S.Patode, P.R.Wesanekar and Nitin Shelke
Abstract:
The Deccan Shield comprising crust of Nanded City was believed to have been tectonically stable and less vulnerable to earthquake activities until recently. The idea is totally shattered with the Microearthquakes (very low intensity earthquakes which are 3.0 or less in magnitude) experienced by Nanded City since 2006. These micro-earthquakes are very rarely felt beyond 4 km beyond their epicenter. These earthquakes normally cause no damage to life or property. These earthquakes occur so periodically that the data generated show substantial number of small earthquakes of magnitudes greater than 1.5 at their epicenters (Fig.1). Earlier studies on micro-earthquake activities around Nanded suggest the occurrence of ‘shallow seismic activities’ in the heart of the city adjacent to ‘Urvashi Ghat’ stream (Srinagesh, 2012).
The immediate cause of any shallow earthquake is deformation in the form of ‘fault’, which is the immediate source of release of stress however; earlier geological studies did not report any evidences of deformation from Nanded city. Similarly, there is no reported history of seismicity in this region obviously no physical evidences of earthquakes are reported, barring the recent studies carried out by the authors earlier (Kaplay, et.al.2013). The present study, therefore, aims at (i) finding out any such physical evidences in the form of ‘deformation’ SE of ‘Urvashi Ghat Lineament’, which runs through the main city of Nanded (ii) to identify the areas or residential localities and educational localities which are vulnerable to micro-earthquake activities and (iii) to suggest sustainable development of houses (seismic proof) in such micro-earthquake areas in order to safe guard the life and property.
Keywords: Seismic activity, Prediction, deformation, antiform, faults
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