Four low-intensity earthquakes hit Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Meghalaya, and Gujarat on Friday morning, according to the National Center for Seismology (NCS).
There have so far been no reports of loss of life or property in any of the four states.
In Tami Nadu, a 3.2-magnitude earthquake struck Chengalpattu district at a depth of 10 kms at 7:39 am.
In Karnataka, a 3.1-magnitude earthquake struck Vijayapura district at a depth of 10 kms at 6:52 am.
In Meghalaya, a 3.8-magnitude earthquake struck 18 kms south-west of Shillong at a depth of 14 kms at 8:46 am.
In Gujarat, 3.9-magntitude earthquake struck 133 kms north-west of Rajkot at a depth of 20 kms at 9 am.
Every year, there are around 5,00,000 earthquakes within the 2.5-5.4 range on the Richter Scale. These are considered to be minor earthquakes. Beyond this range, the damage potential increases. Between the 5.5-6 range, there are about 350 earthquakes a year that can cause slight damage of buildings, according to Michigan Technological University (MTU).
The MTU further says that there are about 100 earthquakes a year between the 6.1-6.9 range that may cause a lot of damage in populated areas. Earthquakes in the 7-7.9 range are classified as major earthquakes that can cause serious damage. The earthquakes measuring 8 or higher on the Richter Scale are the worst that can totally devastate the areas near the epicentre and such quakes are rare.
