Mizoram was hit by an earthquake of 4.1 in the Richter Scale for the third time in a span of 48 hours, all at the same location of Champhai district in southern Mizoram. Tremors were felt across the state and adjoining areas for the fourth time in three days.
Mizoram Earthquake
Champhai, where the earthquake originated, was also the epicenter of two more quakes in the last 72 hours, including a 5.1 quake at Ngopa area, towards east and north-east of Aizawl and another medium-intensity earthquake of 5 on the Richter Scale. Mizoram’s zone of earthquakes is caught between two subterranean faults. These are the Churachandpur Mao Fault and the Mat Fault.
Faults are discontinuities or cracks that are the result of differential motion within the earth’s crust. Vertical or lateral slippage of the crust along the faults causes an earthquake. The Churachandpur Mao Fault is named after two places in Manipur and runs north-south into Myanmar along the border of Champhai. The Mat Fault runs northwest-southeast across Mizoram, beneath river Mat near Serchhip.
There are several shallower transverse or minor faults in between these two major faults that are deeper. It is believed that the earthquakes have been caused by these minor faults.
