Tibet earthquake: Shallow 5.7 magnitude quake jolts region on major geological fault

An earthquake of magnitude 5.7 on the Richter Scale jolted Tibet on Monday, a statement by the National Center for Seismology (NCS) said.

As per the NCS, the earthquake occurred at a shallow depth of 10km, making it susceptible to aftershocks.

Tibet Earthquake Magnitude

In a post on X, the NCS said, "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."



Earlier on May 8, an earthquake of magnitude 3.7 jolted the region.

In a post on X, the NCS said, "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."

Earthquake in Tibet today: Why it was dangerous

Shallow earthquakes like these are more dangerous than deeper ones due to their greater energy release closer to the Earth's surface. This causes stronger ground shaking and increased damage to structures and casualties, compared to deeper earthquakes, which lose energy as they travel to the surface.

The Tibetan Plateau is known for its seismic activity due to tectonic plate collisions.

Tibet and Nepal lie on a major geological fault line where the Indian tectonic plate pushes up into the Eurasian plate, and earthquakes are a regular occurrence as a result. The region is seismically active, causing tectonic uplifts that can grow strong enough to change the heights of the Himalayas' peaks, Al Jazeera reported.

"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, told Al Jazeera.

"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," Karplus, who is a professor of geological sciences at the University of Texas at El Paso, told Al Jazeera.