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Influence of anthropogenic groundwater unloading in Indo‐Gangetic plains on the 25 April 2015 Mw 7.8 Gorkha, Nepal earthquake
Author(s) -
Kundu Bhaskar,
Vissa Naresh Krishna,
Gahalaut V. K.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2015gl066616
Subject(s) - geology , groundwater , aquifer , seismology , slip (aerodynamics) , hydrology (agriculture) , geotechnical engineering , physics , thermodynamics
Groundwater usage in the Indo‐Gangetic plains exceeds replenishment of aquifers, leading to substantial reduction in the mass. Such anthropogenic crustal unloading may promote long‐term fault slip or may modulate seismic activity in the adjoining Himalayan region. Our simulation using Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment data and hydrological models of such a process indicates that the thrust earthquakes on the Main Himalayan Thrust (MHT), including the recent 25 April 2015 Mw 7.8 Gorkha, Nepal earthquake, are probably influenced by the anthropogenic groundwater unloading process in the Gangetic plains. The groundwater withdrawal leading to crustal unloading in the Gangetic plains causes a significant component of horizontal compression which adds to the secular interseimic compression at the seismogenic depth (5–20 km) on the MHT beneath the Himalayan arc and at hypocentral depth of the 2015 Gorkha, Nepal earthquake. This effect enhances the Coulomb stress on the locked zone of MHT.