GUWAHATI, Sept 20 � In all, 614 earthquakes of low and moderate intensities rocked the NE region in a period of 30 years, between 1980 and 2009, as per data available with the Regional Meteorology Centre (RMC) here.
RMC Deputy Director General of Meteorology (DDGM) H Pathak told this correspondent that during these years, 2005, with 38 earthquakes of various intensities, recorded the highest number of earthquakes in a single year. Both 1994 and 2009 recorded the second highest occurrence of earthquakes. Each of them recorded 36 earthquakes of different intensities.
Significantly, in the decade between 1980 and 1989, between 12 and 27 earthquakes rocked the region every year, whereas, in the following decade, the rate of occurrence ranged between 13 and 36 per year. In the latest decade, between 2000 and 2009, the rate of occurrance varied in the range of 14 to 38 per year, Pathak said.
From 1869 till 2009, the region has recorded three earthquakes that measured beyond 8 on the Richter scale � these had occurred on June 12, 1897 (8.7), on January 15, 1934 (8.3) and on August 15, 1950 (8.6).
During this period, it has recorded four earthquakes beyond 7 in magnitude. These earthquakes occurred on January 10, 1869 (7.5), on July 8, 1918 (7.6), July 2, 1930 (7.1) and on October 23, 1943 (7.2).
On ten occasions, the region has recorded earthquakes of 6 or more than 6 in magnitude during this period. These earthquakes occurred on June 2, 1934 (6.5), August 6, 1988 (6.6), August 21, 1988 (6.4), May 29, 1994 (6.6), August 8, 1994 (6), May 6, 1995 (6), July 28, 1996 (6), November 2, 1997 (6), October 11, 2000 (6) and September 21, 2009 (6.2).
Of the earthquakes occurring on June 12, 1897, June 2, 1934, August 15, 1950, August 6, 1988, May 29, 1994, August 8, 1994, May 6, 1995, July 28, 1996, November 2, 1997, October 11, 2000 and September 21, 2009, seven occurred in the southeastern direction from the Shillong-based Central Seismological Observatory (CSO).
The places located in this direction are � Southeast Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura, South Myanmar and Eastern Bangladesh, Pathak said.
