Earthquake in Tibet + Banking_SBI_Clerk?.ToString()?? Banking_SBI_Clerk?.ToString()+" Current Affairs";

Why in the News?
A devastating earthquake struck China’s remote Tibet region on Tuesday, killing 126 people and injuring 188 others, according to state media reports.
The earthquake also caused tremors in neighboring Nepal’s capital Kathmandu and parts of India.
Key Takeaways
Earthquake Details:
Location:
Epicenter: Tingri County, about 80 km north of Mount Everest, near China’s border with Nepal.
Tingri is a rural, high-altitude region with approximately 62,000 people.
Magnitude:
China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC): 6.8
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS): 7.1
Casualties and Damage:
Deaths: 126 confirmed as of 7 p.m.
Injuries: 188, including 28 in critical condition.
Buildings: 3,609 houses collapsed.
Responses and Relief Efforts:
Rescue Operations:
Rescuers worked in freezing temperatures, distributing blankets and aiding the injured.
Footage showed rubble-strewn ruins in Tingri.
Government Response:
Chinese President Xi Jinping called for “all-out search and rescue efforts.”
Emergency teams were dispatched to the affected regions.
Impact on Neighboring Areas:
Nepal:
Tremors felt in Kathmandu and areas near Everest.
India:
Tremors were felt in parts of Bihar, but no injuries or significant damage were reported.
Historical Context:
The earthquake was the most powerful recorded in a 200-km radius in the last five years, according to CENC.
Past incidents:
December 2023: A quake in northwest China killed 148 people and displaced thousands.
2014: Over 600 people were killed in Yunnan province, making it one of China’s deadliest quakes.

What is an Earthquake?
An earthquake is the shaking of the ground caused by the sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust. This energy, stored as stress, is typically released along faults, which are fractures in the Earth's crust.  
How do Earthquakes Happen?
Plate Tectonics: The Earth's outer layer is made up of several large plates that are constantly moving.  
Plate Boundaries: Earthquakes most commonly occur along the boundaries of these plates where they interact with each other.  
Types of Plate Boundaries:
Convergent Boundaries: Plates collide, causing one plate to be pushed beneath the other (subduction). This creates enormous stress and can lead to powerful earthquakes.
Divergent Boundaries: Plates move apart, creating new crust. Earthquakes here are generally smaller.  
Transform Boundaries: Plates slide past each other horizontally. This creates significant friction and can result in large earthquakes.  
Types of Seismic Waves:
When an earthquake occurs, it releases energy in the form of seismic waves that travel through the Earth. There are two main types:  
Body Waves: These travel through the Earth's interior.  
P-waves (Primary Waves): Fastest waves, travel through both solids and liquids.  
S-waves (Secondary Waves): Slower than P-waves, travel only through solids. 
Surface Waves: These travel along the Earth's surface.  
Love Waves: Cause horizontal shaking.
Rayleigh Waves: Cause rolling motion. 
Measuring Earthquakes:
Richter Scale: Measures the magnitude of an earthquake based on the amplitude of seismic waves.  
Moment Magnitude Scale: A more modern scale that measures the total energy released during an earthquake.  
Effects of Earthquakes:
Ground Shaking: The most immediate and destructive effect, causing buildings to collapse, roads to crack, and bridges to crumble.  
Tsunamis: Powerful ocean waves generated by undersea earthquakes.  
Landslides: Can be triggered by strong shaking.  
Liquefaction: Soil loses its strength and behaves like a liquid.  
Earthquake Preparedness:
Building Codes: Strict building codes help to make structures more resistant to earthquake damage.  
Early Warning Systems: Can provide crucial seconds or minutes of warning before strong shaking arrives.  
Public Education: Educating people about earthquake safety, such as "drop, cover, and hold on."