Analysis of seismic data and satellite images allowed the signal to be attributed to the collapse of a glacier and the subsequent landslide.
In relation to the news spread in the last few hours about the event that occurred on August 26th on the border between Nepal and China, theIstituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) specifies that the seismic signal initially classified as an earthquake was subsequently traced back to the collapse of an enormous block of ice and rock, which broke away from a glacier and fell for over a kilometer, which subsequently generated a landslide.
From an initial reconstruction, the debris temporarily blocked the river Lhende Khola and the subsequent collapse of the natural dam released a massive flow of water, mud, and debris that hit the settlements downstream. The phenomenon produced a seismic signal classified by theUnited States Geological Survey (USGS) like a magnitude 4.4 earthquake.
Subsequent analyses have attributed the seismic signal to the collapse of the glacier and the resulting debris flow, which released energy comparable to a magnitude 5.2 earthquake. The causes of the event are still being studied.
For further details, please refer to to the in-depth article published on the INGVterremoti blog.
Useful links:
Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV)
INGVterremoti blog
