Himalayan Region
The central Himalayan region is one of the most seismically active zones in the world. The majority of states in the Himalayan region fall into zones IV and V on the seismic zoning map prepared by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). Zone V represents the highest seismic risk. The northern western Himalayan states are particularly vulnerable to earthquakes and landslides because of their proximity to the Main Himalayan Thrust (MHT) fault.
- The Himalayan region is prone to earthquakes because it’s located near the boundary between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates.
- The Indian plate is moving northward at a rate of 1 cm per year, and it collides with the Eurasian plate. This collision causes earthquakes along the Himalayan arc.
- The entire region accommodates shallow earthquakes, while intermediate-depth earthquakes are concentrated at the eastern and western Himalayan syntaxis.
- In the Himalayan Region seismic activity occurs in countries like Nepal, India, Bhutan, and parts of Pakistan and China.
Top 10 Most Active Earthquake Zones in The World
List of Top 10 Most Active Earthquake Zones: The Top 10 Most Active Earthquake Zones are Pacific Ring of Fire, Himalayan Region, Alpide Belt, East African Rift, Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Anatolian Fault Zone, San Andreas Fault, Japan Trench, Tonga Trench, and Java Trench. Pacific Ring of Fire also known as the “Ring of Fire”, is the world’s greatest earthquake and volcanic-prone zone. It accounts for 81 percent of recorded earthquakes in the world.
Earthquakes are the abrupt shaking of the earth’s surface by the sudden release of energy in the Earth’s crust, resulting in seismic waves. It occurs due to the movement of tectonic plates beneath the Earth’s surface. The point where the energy is released is called the earthquake’s focus, and the point directly above it on the Earth’s surface is the epicenter.
In this article, we will look into the List of the Top 10 Most Active Earthquake Zones in the world. We will also discuss the location and characteristics of these active Earthquake Zones.
Table of Content
- Earthquake
- List of Top 10 Most Active Earthquake Zones
- Pacific Ring of Fire
- Himalayan Region
- Alpide Belt
- East African Rift
- Mid-Atlantic Ridge
- Anatolian Fault Zone
- San Andreas Fault
- Japan Trench
- Tonga Trench
- Java Trench