NEWS FROM BBC NEWS: here is an increased risk of a future major earthquake in an area that straddles the west of Nepal and India, scientists warn. New data has revealed that the devastating quake that hit Nepal in April did not release all of the stress that had built up underground, and has pushed some of it westwards. The research is published in the journals Nature Geoscience and Science. Its authors say more monitoring is now needed in this area. If we have an earthquake today, it would be a disaster because of the density of population Prof Jean-Philippe Avouac, University of Cambridge Prof Jean-Philippe Avouac, from the University of Cambridge, told BBC News: "This is a place that needs attention, and if we had an earthquake today, it would be a disaster because of the density of population not just in western Nepal but also in northern India, in the Gangetic plain." The 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Nepal earlier this year killed about 9,000 people, and left many thousands more injured and homeless. It occurred in a geological collision zone, where the Indian tectonic plate pushes north into the Eurasian plate, moving the ground an average of 2cm a year. Tectonic plate Image caption
The earthquake triggered an avalanche on Everest - but experts say the damage could have been worse The team says extra monitoring by the research community is now needed, although it is impossible to predict accurately when the natural disaster might strike. "We don't want to scare people, but it is important they are aware that they are living in a place where there is a lot of energy available," Prof Avouac explained. "A lot of families are building their own houses in Nepal. With minimum care, it is possible to build small buildings that can withstand large earthquakes." Lives would be saved by drilling school children in western Nepal and the nearby plains of northern India Prof David Rothery, Open University Commenting on the research, Prof David Rothery from Open University said: "Monitoring techniques have now advanced to the stage where we can work out how a previously 'locked' fault has 'unzipped' during the couple of minutes that it takes a major earthquake to happen. "Lives would be saved by drilling school children in western Nepal and the nearby plains of northern India in how to react in the event of an earthquake, and in ensuring that at least school buildings are adequately constructed to survive seismic shaking." Data from advanced GPS stations has also revealed that the death toll could have been far higher. These stations track tiny shifts in ground position, at a rate of five measurements every second. Scientists say the seismic waves travelling underground were a lower frequency than expected, causing the ground to vibrate more gently. Prof Avouac said: "When I heard about this M7.8 earthquake happening so close to Kathmandu, I was prepared for a death toll in the order of 300,000 or 400,000 people. "But this earthquake didn't generate a lot of high frequency waves, which would have been devastating for the small buildings in Kathmandu. They could withstand the earthquake because of the characteristics of the 'pulse' - and its relative smoothness
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