The Nepal earthquake, specifically the Gorkha earthquake, was primarily caused by the collision of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates.
Cause of the Nepal Earthquake
The exact cause of the significant Nepal earthquake, also known as the Gorkha earthquake, stems from the powerful geological forces at play where two massive tectonic plates meet. Nepal is situated directly over a convergent plate margin, a zone where these two plates are actively colliding.
Specifically, the earthquake was a direct result of the interaction between:
- The Indian Plate: This plate is continually moving northward.
- The Eurasian Plate: The Indian Plate is pushing into and subducting (sliding beneath) the Eurasian Plate.
This relentless northward movement of the Indian Plate beneath the Eurasian Plate builds up immense stress along their boundary. When this accumulated stress exceeds the strength of the rocks, it is suddenly released, leading to a rupture along the fault lines and generating powerful seismic waves that manifest as an earthquake. This fundamental plate tectonic process is the precise reason for the Nepal earthquake.
