Why earthquakes cannot be predicted: TN Weatherman explains

The National Geophysical Research Institute’s (NGRI) top scientist Dr N Purnachandra Rao has issued a warning about the increased possibility of an unanticipated devastating earthquake.

“The plates that make up the surface of the Earth are continually shifting. The Indian plate is moving roughly 5 cm per year, causing the building of stress along the Himalayas increasing the possibility of a bigger earthquake,” media reports quoted Rao as saying.

The alarming 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria, killing roughly 45,000 people on both sides and displacing thousands more, prompted the warning of a “bigger earthquake” owing to the buildup of stress along the Himalayas, he added.

In Uttarakhand, there is a solid network of 18 seismograph stations. Rao stated that there is a region known as the seismic gap between Himachal and the western section of Nepal, including Uttarakhand, that is prone to earthquakes that could happen at any time.

Chennai-based weather blogger Pradeep John (better known as ‘Tamil Nadu Weatherman’) spoke to The Federal on why earthquakes happen, and why it is near impossible to predict them.