The tremors from the Medaram earthquake in Mulugu in Telangana, which occurred around 7.27 am (India Standard Time), were felt in some parts of the twin cities and nearby districts more than 200 km away Photo Credit: By arrangement

Scientists at the CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) said that the “moderate” earthquake measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale struck Medaram in Mulugu district of Telangana – about 250 km from Hyderabad – on Monday (December 4, 2024). The second is the largest disaster recorded in the region in the last 55 years, but there is “no cause for concern for the general public”.

The largest earthquake in the region

“On July 5, 1969, an earthquake of magnitude 5.7 on the Richter scale was recorded in Bhadrachalam, the largest ever recorded in the region, and we had two more earthquakes of magnitude 4.8 in Medchal in 1983 and 4.6 in Pulichintala in 2021,” said NGRI Director Prakash Kumar on Wednesday.

The tremors of today’s earthquake, which struck at around 7:27 am (India Standard Time), were also felt over 200 km away in some parts of the twin cities and adjoining districts, which the director attributed to the density and composition of the rock formations.

These are not “big earthquakes”

Mr. Kumar advised the general public not to worry as these were not “major earthquakes” and such seismic events occur again and again in the Godavari Rift Basin, a fault zone. There are several fractures and faults along the Godavari and Krishna rivers and in the surrounding area.

“The Godavari Rift Basin is a very important basin in the country. We are the focal point for monitoring seismological events and continuously monitor the Earth’s crust using a series of seismometers. Almost all our seismic stations, including the one at the institute premises, recorded the earthquake in real time today,” Mr. Kumar added.

CSIR-NGRI was established in 1961 to conduct research in multidisciplinary areas of the highly complex structure and processes of the Earth system. Research priorities include earthquake hazards and geodynamics, which involve the study and modeling of fundamental aspects of the Earth system and the implementation of techniques to identify primary georesources such as groundwater, hydrocarbons, and alternative energy sources and minerals.