A new study shows what portion of the city is at risk if an earthquake strikes.
What’s it about? How would Chennai hold up if it was struck by an earthquake similar to the one in Turkey recently? A new study shows 60% of the city’s localities are at risk, with 53% of the population likely to be affected. While some areas are at a higher risk than others, some geophysicists say Chennai falls under the seismic 2 and 3 zones and may not face high-intensity earthquakes.
- A team from Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) assessed and mapped liquefaction, a loosely packed sediment that can weaken during an earthquake. It can happen in places like Chetpet, Teynampet, and T Nagar.
- Following the Bhuj earthquake in 2002, Chennai was upgraded to seismic zone 2 or 3. Coastal areas from Tiruvottiyur to Injambakkam have black clay and sandy soil. Places with shallow water tables may experience liquefaction.
Who said what? Professor G Ganapathy from VIT said Chennai has a combination of soil conditions with different thicknesses and water table depths. Not all mapped areas are liquefication-prone, and an earthquake of magnitude 6 or above would cause some effect. Geologist Ajay Kumar said locally, the chances are higher for earthquakes in the 3-4 magnitude.