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The Tectonics Behind the Myanmar Quake


A seismologist walks us through the region’s tectonic history

A report from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) estimates that the death toll will likely exceed 1,000, and could even surpass 10,000 given the quake’s epicenter near populated areas. Zhigang Peng, a seismologist at Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta who has studied quakes along the Alpide in Turkey, says that while Myanmar has experienced large earthquakes in the past, today’s quake—followed by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock roughly 11 minutes later—is among the most powerful to hit the region in recent memory. FAULT LINES: Zhigang Peng, a seismologist at Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, has studied quakes along the Alpide belt in southern Eurasia, one of the most seismically active regions in the world.

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