This story is from June 21, 2019

Two low-intensity earthquake jolt Satara region

Parts of the Satara region recorded their first earthquake of a magnitude greater than 4.5 in over seven years, followed by an aftershock, around 7.47am on Thursday. While the earthquake was of 4.8 magnitude, the aftershock was of magnitude 3. However, no loss of life or property has been reported.
Two low-intensity earthquake jolt Satara region
Representative image
PUNE: Parts of the Satara region recorded their first earthquake of a magnitude greater than 4.5 in over seven years, followed by an aftershock, around 7.47am on Thursday. While the earthquake was of 4.8 magnitude, the aftershock was of magnitude 3. However, no loss of life or property has been reported.
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The earthquake occurred around 20km from the Koyna dam in Satara, India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials told TOI.
The depth of the first shock was 10 km below the earth surface.
The officials said this was the first earthquake of such magnitude to have occurred in this part of Satara in some years. During the last seven years, earthquakes of magnitude 1 to 4.5 have been recorded in this region.
Officials said the epicentre of the quake was considerably distant from the Koyna dam, which is usually a hot spot for earthquakes.
Thursday was the first time in 2019 that an earthquake had occurred in this region in Satara. As per details provided by the IMD, the latitude and longitude of the location is 17.3°N 73.8°E. Since the beginning of 2019, Palghar has been the only location in the state affected by a series of earthquakes.

Officials from the IMD’S seismology department said the aftershock, which originated at a depth of 5km below the earth’s surface, was felt around 8.27am.
“The aftershock was relatively shallow. Data over the past few years has shown that though one earthquake on an average affects this location each year, quakes with magnitude of 4 or more are less common here,” an official said.
In 2012, the location had recorded an earthquake of 4.9 magnitude. In 2013, 2015 and 2016, no earthquakes were recorded in this region. Also, during the last seven years, the epicentre has remained almost the same, IMD officials said.
“Earthquakes between 1 to 5 magnitude are termed light, while those from 5.1 to 6.9 magnitude are termed moderate. Thursday’s tremor was a light one. Preliminary investigations revealed that the quake could have occurred due to a faultline in the tectonic plates in the crust. The faultline in question could have been the one extending from the Koyna region or one that has developed somewhere in this region itself where the tremors were felt,” the official said.
The official said that as tectonic plates shift constantly, the stress build-up can increase at times, activating a faultline. This can cause tremors in a region.
As per theory, the Indo-Australian Plate — a major tectonic plate that includes the continent of Australia and surrounding ocean, extending northwest to include the Indian subcontinent and adjacent waters — is constantly in motion. The average speed at which this plate moves is 4.8cm to 5.2cm annually though the velocity is not uniform, an IMD official said.
Meanwhile, an official from the Satara disaster management authority said that the Koynanagar observatory scaled Thursday’s earthquake at 3.7 magnitude. “Also, as per our observations, the epicentre was not in Satara, but in Devrukh village in Sangameshwar taluka of Ratnagiri district,” he added.
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About the Author
Neha Madaan

Neha Madaan is a senior feature writer at The Times of India, Pune. She holds an M A degree in Mass Communication and Journalism from University of Pune. She covers tourism, heritage development and its conservation, apart from an array of subjects such as civic issues, environment, astronomy, civic school education as well as social issues concerning persons with disabilities. Her interests include metaphysical research and animal rights.

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