Lhasa: An earthquake measuring 5.7 on the Richter Scale struck Tibet in the early hours of Monday. Tremors were felt at 02:32 AM, the National Center for Seismology (NCS) said. The earthquake occurred at a depth of 10 km, making the region susceptible to aftershocks.
Sharing a post on X, NCS wrote, “EQ of M: 5.7, On: 12/05/2025 02:41:24 IST, Lat: 29.02 N, Long: 87.48 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Tibet.” This was the second earthquake in Tibet within the last seven days.
“EQ of M: 3.7, On: 08/05/2025 20:18:41 IST, Lat: 29.20 N, Long: 87.02 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Tibet,” the NCS had said in a post on X. It is important to note here that the Tibetan Plateau is at risk of seismic activity because of collisions in tectonic plates.
EQ of M: 5.7, On: 12/05/2025 02:41:24 IST, Lat: 29.02 N, Long: 87.48 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Tibet.
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— National Center for Seismology (@NCS_Earthquake) May 11, 2025
It may be noted here that earthquakes like this are more dangerous than those in deeper ones. This is because of their greater energy release near the surface of the Earth. This led to stronger ground shaking and further destruction. As compared to this, a deeper earthquake loses energy while traveling to the surface.
“Education about earthquakes and earthquake-resilient buildings combined with funding for retrofits and resilient structures can help protect people and buildings when strong earthquakes occur,” Marianne Karplus, a seismologist and geophysicist, said while speaking to Al Jazeera.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Karplus, a professor at the University of Texas at El Paso, added, “The Earth system is very complex, and we cannot predict earthquakes. However, we can conduct scientific studies to better understand what causes earthquakes in Tibet and to better understand the shaking and impacts resulting from earthquakes.”
