Magnitude & Impact:
- A 4.0-magnitude earthquake struck Delhi early Monday.
- Strongest since the 4.6-magnitude earthquake in 2007.
- Epicenter: Jheel Park, Dhaula Kuan.
- Affected areas: Delhi-NCR, including Noida, Ghaziabad, and Gurugram.
- The shallow depth (5 km) intensified surface impact.
Relevance : GS 1(Geography ), GS 3(Disaster Management)
Seismic Activity in Delhi:
- From 1993-2025, 446 earthquakes (magnitude 1.1 to 4.6) have been recorded within a 50-km radius.
- The strongest quake (M 4.6) was on November 25, 2007, around 6 km northwest of Monday’s quake.
Geological Factors & Causes:
- Normal faulting due to hydro-fracturing of underground rock formations.
- Delhi has underground aquifers, ancient rivers, and rivulets, which erode rock layers over time, triggering fractures and seismic activity.
- Key regional faults: Mahendranagar fault, Sohana fault.
Future Earthquake Risks:
- Highly unlikely to exceed magnitude 6, due to limited fault capacity.
- Shallow quakes (like this one) do not cause serious structural damage.
- Emphasis on earthquake-resistant buildings and retrofitting old structures to mitigate future risks.
