{"id":47164,"date":"2025-07-07T20:05:35","date_gmt":"2025-07-07T14:35:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=47164"},"modified":"2025-07-11T16:44:58","modified_gmt":"2025-07-11T11:14:58","slug":"gnip-earthquake-assessment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/07-07-2025\/gnip-earthquake-assessment","title":{"rendered":"Assessment of Earthquake for GNIP"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS1\/Geography<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) study <\/strong>carried out for the <strong>Great Nicobar Infrastructure Project (GNIP) <\/strong>downplays the <strong>risk of future earthquakes <\/strong>that could trigger tsunamis on the scale<strong> that was seen in 2004.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The GNIP<\/strong> envisages a trans-shipment port, an international airport, township development, and a 450 Megavolt-Amperes (MVA) gas and solar-based power plant in the GNI.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It was accorded an <strong>environment and preliminary forest clearance<\/strong> by the Centre.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Concerns:<\/strong> Potential loss of biodiversity, tree-felling, and impact on resident tribes prompted the National Green Tribunal to order a review of the environmental aspects of the project.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The islands were among the<strong> worst affected regions<\/strong> during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami-earthquake.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The region falls under the <strong>highest seismological category of five<\/strong> and is highly prone to earthquakes, as the Indian Plate dives beneath the <strong>Burmese Microplate<\/strong> along the Andaman Trench in a process known as \u201csubduction.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Earthquake<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>An earthquake is an intense shaking of Earth\u2019s surface. The shaking is caused by <strong>movements in Earth\u2019s outermost layer.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Earth is made of four basic layers:<\/strong> a solid crust, a hot, nearly solid mantle, a liquid outer core and a solid inner core.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"ebbcb2\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1023\" height=\"649\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Earth-is-made-of-four-basic-layers.png\" alt=\"4 basic layers of earth\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-47169\" style=\"--dominant-color: #ebbcb2; width:486px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Earth-is-made-of-four-basic-layers.png 1023w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Earth-is-made-of-four-basic-layers-300x190.png 300w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Earth-is-made-of-four-basic-layers-768x487.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1023px) 100vw, 1023px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The solid crust and top, stiff layer of the mantle make up a region called the <strong>lithosphere<\/strong>.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The lithosphere is made up of <strong>tectonic plates<\/strong> and tectonic plates are <strong>constantly shifting<\/strong> as they drift around on the<strong> viscous, or slowly flowing, mantle layer below.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>This non-stop movement causes stress on Earth\u2019s crust, when the stresses get too large, it leads to <strong>cracks called faults.&nbsp;<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>When tectonic plates move, it also causes <strong>movements at the faults.<\/strong> An earthquake is the <strong>sudden movement of Earth\u2019s crust at a fault line<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Epicenter: <\/strong>The location where an earthquake <strong>begins <\/strong>is called the <strong>epicenter<\/strong>.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>An earthquake\u2019s most intense shaking is often felt near the epicenter.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"bcaea6\" data-has-transparency=\"true\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"433\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Assessment-of-Earthquake-for-GNIP.png\" alt=\"Assessment of Earthquake for GNIP\" class=\"has-transparency wp-image-47167\" style=\"--dominant-color: #bcaea6; width:522px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Assessment-of-Earthquake-for-GNIP.png 640w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Assessment-of-Earthquake-for-GNIP-300x203.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><strong>Read our detailed article on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/earthquakes\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/earthquakes\/\">Earthquakes<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Measurement of Earthquakes<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The energy from an earthquake travels through Earth in vibrations called <strong>seismic waves.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Scientists can measure these seismic waves on instruments called <strong>seismometers<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Magnitude: <\/strong>Measured by Richter Scale ranging 0-10.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The intensity scale,<\/strong> named after <strong>Mercalli,<\/strong> considers the visible damage caused by the event.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Seismic Waves<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Seismic waves are <strong>energy waves generated by an earthquake<\/strong> that travels through the Earth&#8217;s layers, causing ground shaking.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They are mainly classified into two types:<strong> body waves and surface waves.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Body Waves: <\/strong>These waves travel through the interior of the Earth. They are faster and arrive before surface waves during an earthquake.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Surface waves<\/strong> travel along the Earth&#8217;s surface and are slower than body waves but cause the most damage due to their larger amplitude.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Types of Body Waves<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>P-Waves (Primary Waves): <\/strong>They are the fastest seismic waves and the first to be recorded by seismographs. They move in a compressional or longitudinal manner.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>P-waves can travel through solids, liquids, and gases.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>S-Waves (Secondary Waves):<\/strong> They move in a transverse manner, where particles move perpendicular to the wave&#8217;s direction of propagation.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>S-waves can travel only through solids, as liquids and gases do not support shear stress.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"d5d5d7\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"469\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/07\/S-Waves-Secondary-Waves.png\" alt=\"S-Waves Secondary Waves\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-47166\" style=\"--dominant-color: #d5d5d7; width:564px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/07\/S-Waves-Secondary-Waves.png 960w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/07\/S-Waves-Secondary-Waves-300x147.png 300w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/07\/S-Waves-Secondary-Waves-768x375.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>India&#8217;s Vulnerability to Earthquakes<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>India is highly vulnerable<\/strong> to earthquakes, with <strong>58.6% <\/strong>of India&#8217;s landmass is prone to moderate to very high intensity earthquakes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The total area is classified into four seismic zones<\/strong>: Zone V is seismically the most active region, while zone II is the least.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Approximately, ~ 11% of the country falls in zone V, ~18% in zone IV, ~ 30% in zone III and remaining in zone II.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"e0e3d9\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"542\" height=\"470\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Indias-Vulnerability-to-Earthquakes.png\" alt=\"India's Vulnerability to Earthquakes\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-47165\" style=\"--dominant-color: #e0e3d9; width:408px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Indias-Vulnerability-to-Earthquakes.png 542w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Indias-Vulnerability-to-Earthquakes-300x260.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 542px) 100vw, 542px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/sci-tech\/energy-and-environment\/environment-impact-study-for-great-nicobar-project-downplays-earthquake-risk\/article69777674.ece\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<h3><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">The Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) study carried out for the Great Nicobar Infrastructure Project (GNIP) downplays the risk of future earthquakes that could trigger tsunamis on the scale that was seen in 2004.<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<h3><strong>About<\/strong><\/h3>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">The GNIP envisages a trans-shipment port, an international airport, township development, and a 450 Megavolt-Amperes (MVA) gas and solar-based power plant in the GNI.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">It was accorded an environment and preliminary forest clearance by the Centre.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Concerns: Potential loss of biodiversity, tree-felling, and impact on resident tribes prompted the National Green Tribunal to order a review of the environmental aspects of the project.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">The islands were among the worst affected regions during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami-earthquake.<\/li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/07-07-2025\/gnip-earthquake-assessment\" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read\u00a0More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47164","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47164","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47164"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47164\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":47692,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47164\/revisions\/47692"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47164"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47164"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47164"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}