Context:
Myanmar earthquake took place on the Sagaing fault
Sagaing Fault:
- Location – Between the Indian and Eurasian plates.
- Extends north to south through Myanmar
- Among the longest and most active strike-slip faults globally
- Tectonic Movement – The Indian Plate is moving northward relative to the Eurasian Plate, leading to significant stress accumulation along this fault.
Faults:
- Fractures in the Earth’s crust caused by tectonic stress, where rocks move relative to each other.
- Earthquakes – Movement along fault planes releases accumulated strain, resulting in earthquakes.
- The focus is the point within the Earth where the earthquake starts.
- The epicenter is the point on the Earth’s surface directly above the focus.
Types of Faults:
| Type of Fault | Description | Boundary Type | Examples |
| Normal Fault | The hanging wall moves downward relative to the footwall | Common at divergent boundaries | East African Rift Valley, Basin and Range Province (USA) |
| Reverse Fault | The hanging wall moves upward relative to the footwall due to compression | Found at convergent boundaries | Himalayan Mountains, Rocky Mountains |
| Strike-Slip Fault | Horizontal movement of blocks with minimal vertical displacement | Typically forms at transform boundaries | Anatolian Fault (Turkey) |
| Transform Fault | A special type of strike-slip fault | Found at boundaries where tectonic plates slide past each other | San Andreas Fault (California) |
Operation Brahma:
- Humanitarian aid launched by India to earthquake-hit Myanmar.
- Strengthens India’s commitment to regional cooperation (Neighbourhood First Policy).
- India’s Recent Humanitarian Missions –
| Mission | Year | Objective |
| Operation Ajay | 2023 | Evacuated Indians from Israel during the Israel-Hamas conflict. |
| Operation Kaveri | 2023 | Rescued Indians stranded in Sudan during the civil war. |
| Operation Ganga | 2022 | Evacuated students from Ukraine during the Russia-Ukraine war. |
| Operation Maitri | 2015 | Provided humanitarian aid to Nepal after a devastating earthquake. |
| Operation Safe Homecoming | 2011 | Evacuated Indians from war-torn Libya. |
Source: IE
Previous Year Question
Consider the following statements:
1. In a seismograph, P waves are recorded earlier than S waves.
2. In P waves, the individual particles vibrate to and fro in the direction of wave propagation whereas in S waves, the particles vibrate up and down at right angles to the direction of wave propagation.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2023 Prelims]
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (c)