Myanmar to conduct quake survey with Bangladesh

Myanmar will conduct a survey on its borders with India and Bangladesh, where tremors are common that sometimes trigger tsunamis, said an expert, reports The Myanmar Times.

Dr Myo Thant, vice chairman of the Myanmar Earthquake Committee (MEC) told a geologist conference in Yangon last week that the survey will specifically research the area where the India and Burma plates collide.

A team of experts from MEC, the Myanmar Geosciences Society, the Yangon University, and Columbia University of the United States, will conduct the research starting this month and will continue for two years.

“It’s an excellent programme. We will be studying from various fields about the accounts of an earthquake,” said Dr Myo Thant.

“The collision process of the India plate and Burma plate is going to be studied. Last year we have received funds, so starting this month in 2017, we will start the research,” he added.

It’s a partnership with the geology department of Yangon University and to be carried out for two years.”

The team will also be conducting research on the faults and the geological textures in the area.

“GPS and seismic recording equipment will be installed too. Detailed ground survey will be done on the faults, and survey will be done on the age of the buildings (around the area).”

Dr Myo Thant said in 1762 an earthquake with a magnitude of 7 on the Richter scale was triggered by the movements in those plates, which resulted in a tsunami.

A temblor with a magnitude of 8 on the Richter scale also struck Dhaka in 1762, while an 8.6 magnitude earthquake rocked northern Myanmar in 1950, he added.

“During that period, the India plate penetrated into the Burma plate, and three nations were involved with this plate - Myanmar, India, and Bangladesh,” Dr Myo Thant said.

After installing GPS in these three places, and acquiring data for Myanmar’s side, the data will all be added up and the potential for earthquake will be observed,” he added, “This is the first time for the three nations to cooperate. Right now, the groundwork survey will be conducted first by Myanmar and Columbia University.”

“We will first focus on the ground level, and especially in western Myanmar: Chin State, Rakhine State and central areas. The earthquake committee had worked with China in 2016 and studied how the Indian plate went inside the Burma plate,” Dr Myo Thant said.  “I think the result will be obtained by 2018. The closest earthquake to occur near Myanmar was in 2004. There were four or five occurrences of tsunamis between Sumatra and Rakhine State.”