STUDY OF GORKHA EARTHQUAKE IN 2015 AD

A PROJECT WORK SUBMITTED FOR THE PARTIAL FULFILLMENT

OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR GRADE 12 SCIENCE IN PHYSICS.

BY
Roshni Sapkota

Hetauda School of Management and Social science

National Educational Board (NEB)
Hetauda, Makwanpur, Nepal
Date:
 CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL

The project entitled “Study of earthquake in gorkha 2015 AD” by Ms. “Roshni
Sapkota”, Hetauda School of Management and Social Sciences, Nepal is hereby
submitted for the partial fulfillment of the requirement of Physics in Grade 12.
This project work has not been submitted in any other school or institution
previously for Grade 12.

_______________ _____________________

Supervisor Head of Department

Mr. Ashish Rana Mr. Gopal Tiwari

Department of Physics Department of Phyiscs

Hetauda School of Management and Hetauda School of Management

Social science and social science

 RECOMMENDATION LETTER

This is to certify that the project work entitled “Study of earthquakein gorkha
in 2015 A D” has been carried out by “Roshni Sapkota” as a partial fulfillment
of Grade 12 in physics under my supervision. To the best of knowledge, this
work has not been submitted to any other purpose in this institute. I,
therefore recommend the project work for appraisal.

------------------------------------------------------

Supervisor (Signature)

Mr. Ashish Rana

Designation of the Supervisor

Department of Chemistry

Hetauda School of Management and Social Sciences

Hetauda 4, Makwanpur

Date:
 DECLARATION

I ,“Roshni Sapkota” hereby declare that the project entitled “Study of

earthquake in gorkha in 2015 A D.” under the supervision of “Assistant
Lecturer, Ashish Rana ,Hetauda School of Management and social
sciences ,Hetauda ,Nepal )”presented here in is genuine work done originally
by me and has not been published or submitted elsewhere for the
requirement of any degree program . Any literature, data or works done by
others and cited in this project work has been given due acknowledgement
and listed in the reference section.

----------------------------------------------------

“Roshni Sapkota”

Grade: 12

Email address:roshnisapkota59@gmail.com

Date:
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to express my special thanks of gratitude to my Physics teacher

Ashish Rana and physics Head of department Gopal Tiwari for their guidance
and support in completing my project. I would also like to extend my gratitude
to Principal Sir, Puran Bahadur Joshi and Vice Principal Sir, Ram Pandit
Khanal for providing me with all the facilities required.

Name of the student

Roshni Sapkota

Class: 12

Section: Galileo
 ABSTRACT
The 2015 Gorkha earthquake occurred on April 25, 2015, nearly 80 km N-NE of
Kathmandu. The epicenter was in the Barpak village of the Gorkha district, and damage
was concentrated primarily toward the east of the epicenter. As of April 2017, 480
aftershocks of local magnitude 4 or above were recorded by the National Seismological
Center (http://www.seismonepal.gov.np/). The main shock of April 25, 2015 (MW 7.8),
was followed by a strong aftershock of magnitude 6.7 on the same day. Moreover, on
April 26, 2015, another strong aftershock of magnitude 6.9 struck central Nepal, and the
strongest aftershock (MW 7.3) of the Gorkha seismic sequence was recorded on May
12, 2015. Damage due to the Gorkha earthquake was attributed to these four major
shakings in central Nepal, which caused 8790 fatalities, 22,300 injuries, and affected 8
million people from 31 out of 75 districts in Nepal (NPC, 2015). The Gorkha earthquake
caused damage to both building structures and lifelines like road networks, hydropower
projects, and water supply systems. The Post-Disaster Need Assessment conducted by
National Planning Commission of Nepal highlighted that the overall loss due to the
Gorkha earthquake was $7 billion (USD; NPC, 2015). Fourteen out of 75 districts in
Nepal were declared as the crisis-hit areas by the government immediately after the
earthquake, as shown in Fig. 1.5. Seismic performance, lessons, and future insights
regarding the damage to residential buildings and heritage structures are reported by
Goda et al. (2015), Shakya and Kawan (2016), Gautam et al. (2016), Gautam (2017),
and Gautam and Chaulagain (2016). A summary of casualties and damage is presented
in Table 1.7.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

______________________________________________________

Front Cover / Title Page ……………………………………………………………………….i

Certificate of Approval …………………...………………………………….….…………….ii

Letter of Recommendation …...……………………………………………………..……….iii

Declaration ….…………………..……………………………………………..………………..iv

Acknowledgement ………………………………………………………..…………………….v

List of tables / List of figures …………………………………………………………………vi

Chapter I : Introduction …………………………

i. Background of the study.

Chapter II : Literature Review ………………………

Chapter III : Materials and Methodology ………………………………………

i. Study Design
ii. Sampling site and Sampling tools and technique
iii. Data collection Methods
iv. Data Analysis

Chapter IV : Result and Discussion ………………………………………….

Presentation, Analysis and Interpretation of Data

Chapter V : Conclusion…………………………………………………………

Summary of findings and recommendations

Reference…………………………………………………………………………
Appendices……………………………………………………………………..
 INTRODUCTION
An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface
of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that
creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from those that are so weak
that they cannot be felt, to those violent enough to propel objects and people into the
air, damage critical infrastructure, and wreak destruction across entire cities. The
seismic activity of an area is the frequency, type, and size of earthquakes experienced
over a particular time. Nepal is a country which is prone to earthquake. Nepal has face
many earthquake in its past years Gorkha earthquake in 2015 A.D. The April 2015
Nepal earthquake (also known as the Gorkha earthquake) killed 8,964 people and
injured 21,952 more. It occurred at 11:56 Nepal Standard Time on Saturday, 25 April
2015, with a magnitude of 7.8Mw or 8.1Ms and a maximum Mercalli Intensity of X
(Extreme). Its epicenter was east of Gorkha District at Barpak, Gorkha, roughly 85 km
(53 mi) northwest of central Kathmandu, and its hypocenter was at a depth of
approximately 8.2 km (5.1 mi). It was the worst natural disaster to strike Nepal since the
1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake. The ground motion recorded in Kathmandu, the capital
of Nepal, was of low frequency, which, along with its occurrence at an hour when many
people in rural areas were working outdoors, decreased the loss of property and human
lives. The earthquake triggered an avalanche on Mount Everest, killing 22 people,the
deadliest incident on the mountain on record.The earthquake triggered another huge
avalanche in the Langtang valley, where 250 people were reported missing. Hundreds
of thousands of Nepalese were made homeless with entire villages flattened across
many districts of the country. Centuries-old buildings were destroyed at UNESCO World
Heritage Sites in the Kathmandu Valley, including some at the Kathmandu Durbar
Square, the Patan Durbar Square, the Bhaktapur Durbar Square, the Changu Narayan
Temple, the Boudhanath stupa, and the Swayambhunath stupa. Geophysicists and
other experts had warned for decades that Nepal was vulnerable to a deadly
earthquake, particularly because of its geology, urbanization, and architecture.
Dharahara, also called Bhimsen Tower, a nine-storey 61.88-metre (203.0 ft) tall tower,
was destroyed. It was a part of the architecture of Kathmandu recognized by UNESCO.
Continued aftershocks occurred throughout Nepal at intervals of 15–20 minutes, with
one shock reaching a magnitude of 6.7 on 26 April at 12:54:08 NST.The country also
had a continued risk of landslides. A major aftershock occurred on 12 May 2015 at
12:50 NST with a moment magnitude (Mw) of 7.3.The epicenter was near the Chinese
border between the capital of Kathmandu and Mount Everest. More than 200 people
were killed and over 2,500 were injured by this aftershock, and many were left
homeless.

Intensity
According to the USGS website, the maximum intensity was VIII (Severe), however
certain reports state an intensity of X (Extreme) or higher. In most of Kathmandu the
intensity was VIII-IX, as evidenced by the numerous undamaged water towers installed
on top of undamaged multi story buildings. Tremors were felt in the neighboring Indian
states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Odisha, Sikkim, Jharkhand,
Uttarakhand, Gujarat, in the National Capital Region around New Delhi and as far south
as Karnataka. Damage was extensive in northern Bihar and minor damage was also
reported from parts of Odisha. Shaking was felt in high-rise buildings as far as Kochi in
the southern state of Kerala. The intensity in Patna was V (Moderate).[failed verification]
The intensity was IV (Light) in Dhaka, Bangladesh.[1] The earthquake was also
experienced across southwest China, ranging from the Tibet Autonomous Region to
Chengdu, which is 1,900 km (1,200 mi) away from the epicenter. Tremors were felt in
Pakistan and Bhutan.

Aftershocks
A series of aftershocks began immediately after the mainshock, at intervals of 15–30
minutes, with one aftershock reaching 6.6Mw within 34 minutes of the initial quake. A
major aftershock of magnitude 6.9 Mw occurred on 26 April 2015 in the same region at
12:54 NST (07:08 UTC), with an epicenter located about 17 km (11 mi) south of Kodari,
Nepal. The aftershock caused fresh avalanches on Mount Everest and was felt in many
places in northern India including Kolkata, Siliguri, Jalpaiguri, and Assam. The
aftershock caused a landslide on the Koshi Highway, which blocked the section of the
road between Bhedetar and Mulghat.
Damage

People waiting on airport tarmac for flights after aftershocks forced the airport to open
all exit doors. Damage in the Basantpur Durbar Square
Thousands of houses were destroyed across many districts of the country, with entire
villages flattened, especially those near the epicenter.
The Tribhuvan International Airport serving Kathmandu was closed immediately after
the earthquake, but was re-opened later in the day for relief operations and, later, for
some commercial flights.It subsequently shut down operations sporadically due to
aftershocks,and on 3 May was closed temporarily to the largest planes for fear of
runway damage.During strong aftershocks, the airport opened all boarding-lounge exit
doors onto the tarmac, allowing people who were waiting post security and immigration
to flee to the open spaces of the runway tarmac. Many remained outside as planes
were delayed and the airport swelled to capacity. The airport facilities suffered damage
and there was no running water or operating toilets in the airport lounges. Few airport
workers were at their posts; most were killed in the earthquake or had to deal with its
aftereffects.
Flights resumed from Pokhara, to the west of the epicentre, on 27 April.

Kathmandu Durbar Square

Before the earthquake Building damage as a result of the earthquake
Several of the churches in the Kathmandu valley were destroyed. As Saturday is the
principal day of Christian worship in Nepal, 500 people were reported to have died in
the collapses. Several temples on Kathmandu Durbar Square, a UNESCO World
Heritage Site, collapsed, as did the Dharahara tower, built in 1832; the collapse of the
latter structure killed at least 180 people, Manakamana Temple in Gorkha, previously
damaged in an earlier quake, tilted several inches further. The northern side of Janaki
Mandir in Janakpur was reported to have been damaged.[citation needed] Several
temples, including Kasthamandap, Panchtale temple, the top levels of the nine-story
Basantapur Durbar, the Dasa Avtar temple and two shrines located behind the Shiva
Parvati temple were demolished by the quake. Some other monuments including the
Taleju Bhawani Temple partially collapsed.

Damaged building in Balaju area

The top of the Jaya Bageshwari Temple in Gaushala and some parts of the
Pashupatinath Temple, Swyambhunath, Boudhanath Stupa, Ratna Mandir, inside Rani
Pokhari, and Durbar High School have been destroyed.
In Patan, the Char Narayan Mandir, the statue of Yog Narendra Malla, a pati inside
Patan Durbar Square, the Taleju Temple, the Hari Shankar, Uma Maheshwar Temple
and the Machhindranath Temple in Bungamati were destroyed. In Tripureshwar, the Kal
Mochan Ghat, a temple inspired by Mughal architecture, was completely destroyed and
the nearby Tripura Sundari also suffered significant damage. In Bhaktapur, several
monuments, including the Phasi Deva temple, the Chardham temple and the 17th
century Vatsala Durga Temple were fully or partially destroyed.
Outside the Valley, the Manakamana Temple in Gorkha, the Gorkha Durbar, the
Palanchok Bhagwati, in Kabhrepalanchok District, the Rani Mahal in Palpa District, the
Churiyamai in Makwanpur District, the Dolakha Bhimsensthan in Dolakha District, and
the Nuwakot Durbar suffered varying degrees of damage. Historian Prushottam Lochan
Shrestha stated, "We have lost most of the monuments that had been designated as
World Heritage Sites in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur District, Nepal. They cannot
be restored to their original states." The northeastern parts of India also received major
damage. Heavy shocks were felt in the states of Uttrakhand, Uttar Pradesh, West
Bengal and others. Huge damage was caused to the property and the lives of the
people.

Economy loss
Nepal, with a total Gross Domestic Product of US$19.921 billion (according to a 2012
estimate),is one of Asia's poorest countries, and has little ability to fund a major
reconstruction effort on its own. Even before the quake, the Asian Development Bank
estimated that it would need to spend about four times more than it currently does
annually on infrastructure through to 2020 to attract investment. The U.S. Geological
Survey initially estimated economic losses from the tremor at 9 per cent to 50 per cent
of gross domestic product, with a best guess of 35 per cent. "It's too hard for now to tell
the extent of the damage and the effect on Nepal's GDP", according to Hun Kim, an
Asian Development Bank (ADB) official. The ADB said on the 28th that it would provide
a US$3 million grant to Nepal for immediate relief efforts, and up to US$200 million for
the first phase of rehabilitation.

Literature review
The observations and approaches after the 2015 Gorkha earthquake depict that the
seismic vulnerability of monuments and heritage sites in Nepal is very high; therefore,
proper actions in terms of preparedness are needed immediately. Damage in case of
heritage sites highlights the severe state even in case of low ground shaking; hence,
future events with greater shaking may lead to collapse of most of the heritage sites and
monuments. Disasters affect humans by not only causing loss of property and loved
ones, displacement on a large scale, shortages of food and necessary items, outbreaks
of disease, but also by having an impact on mental health. The mental health of
earthquake victims and survivors is affected adversely, especially amongst women and
other under-privileged sections of the population. Generally, disasters are measured by
the cost of social and economic damage, but there is little consideration to results
Several factors adversely affect the psychosocial set up during and after a disaster.
Disaster recovery involves the restoration of livelihood in terms of economic, social,
environmental, and physical factors among many others. In order to assess the
psychosocial health impacts, it is necessary to understand the recovery status of
various factors that may contribute to the psychosocial recovery. Thus, this study
attempted to understand the status of psychosocial health impacts in two ways.
Discussion
Dislocated populations after a disaster experience higher adverse psychosocial
impacts. The haunting experiences, plus the damage to personal belongings and
houses, affected the mental calm among the earthquake victims. Thus, it resulted in
increased aggression among the disaster-affected population similar to the findings in
the study of Jenkins and Meltzer. The psychosocial impacts include behavioral changes
among neighbors and gender in the affected population. It was observed…

Conclusions
This research found three main conclusions. First, Nepal's psychosocial recovery
programs are insufficient. The mental health and psychosocial support policies in Nepal
have not been paid much attention. Second, due to the social stigma attached to mental
health, an understanding of the importance of psychosocial health and its recovery is
absent. The current social and cultural setups are not favorable to Nepalese women,
and these act as barriers to the inclusion of women in the Disaster Risk…

References
Understanding short-term household recoveries from the 2015 Nepal earthquakes:
lessons learned and recommendations
Response and Rehabilitation of Historic Monuments After the Gorkha Earthquake
Seismotectonic and Engineering Seismological Aspects of the Mw 7.8 Gorkha, Nepal,
Earthquake
Revisiting Major Historical Earthquakes in Nepal