Why Did Delhi Earthquake Feel So Strong Despite Its Low Magnitude?

An earthquake jolted the residents of Delhi and its surrounding areas awake on Monday morning. The tremor registered a magnitude of 4.0 on the Richter scale. However, many people claimed they had never felt such a strong jolt before.

Why did the earthquake feel so intense despite its relatively low magnitude?

Delhi earthquake: What happened?

As the earthquake struck the capital at around 5:36 am on Monday at a depth of five kilometres, people rushed out of their homes in alarm.

Why did the earthquake feel so strong?

Srijan Pal Singh, former advisor to India's 11th President and founder of the Kalam Centre and Homi Lab, explained the phenomenon on X.

He stated that residents experienced "bigger tremors than ever before" because the epicentre was within Delhi itself. "This is how quakes feel at the epicentre," he explained.

"The Delhi earthquake you just witnessed was around 4.0 on the Richter scale. That is not very high (quakes can go up to 6.0 and more) but you felt bigger tremors than ever before. Why? Because the epicentre is within Delhi itself. This is how quakes feel at the epicentre," he wrote on X.

According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the 'epicentre' is the point directly above the location on the Earth's surface where the earthquake originates.

"The location below the Earth's surface where the earthquake starts is called the hypocentre, and the location directly above it on the surface of the Earth is called the epicentre," the USGS explained.

The agency further stated that the strongest tremors, known as the 'mainshock', occur during the actual earthquake, followed by 'aftershocks'.

The Earth's crust and upper mantle are composed of tectonic plates, whose edges are known as plate boundaries. These boundaries contain numerous faults, where the majority of earthquakes worldwide take place, the USGS noted.

NASA's science website states that the most intense shaking during an earthquake is usually felt near the epicentre.

"However, the vibrations from an earthquake can still be felt and detected hundreds, or even thousands of miles away from the epicentre," it added.

The energy released by an earthquake travels through the Earth in the form of vibrations known as 'seismic waves'.

Delhi earthquake: Where exactly was the epicentre?

According to an official cited by news agency PTI, Monday's earthquake in Delhi had its epicentre near Dhaula Kuan's Durgabai Deshmukh College of Special Education. He noted that this area, which has a nearby lake, experiences small, low-magnitude tremors roughly every two to three years.

Why is Delhi so vulnerable to earthquakes?

Delhi is located in an active seismic zone due to the faults in the Delhi-NCR region and its proximity to the Himalayas.

Seismic activity in Delhi is linked to a major geological structure known as the Delhi-Haridwar Ridge, which aligns with the extension of the Aravali Mountain belt beneath the alluvial plains of the Ganga basin.

This ridge extends northeast towards the Himalayas, according to the Delhi Disaster Management Authority's website.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi responded to the earthquake by urging residents to remain calm and follow safety precautions. He also advised people to stay alert for possible aftershocks.