16 hours Ago By U Tejonmayam
On Nov 27, 1945, an 8.1-magnitude earthquake in the Makran Subduction Zone triggered a tsunami on the west coast, killing 13 people in Mumbai and nearly 4,000 in what is now Pakistan, Oman, Iran and the UAE. The MSZ, a seismically active region, lies at a triple junction where the Indian, Arabian and Eurasian plates meet in the northwestern Indian Ocean.
Any earthquake with a magnitude of 6.5 or above in this region can trigger a tsunami. On Sept 24, 2013, a 7.
7-magnitude inland earthquake in Balochistan, Pakistan, triggered a tsunami in the area. Indian researchers now constantly monitor the MSZ. “Nearly 79 years since the last major earthquake, many believe significant stress is accumulating in the region, but that’s not entirely true,” said Om Prakash Mishra, Director of the National Centre for Seismology .
“Stress is accumulating, but lower-magnitude earthquakes leak it,” he added. Experts say the MSZ remains poorly understood, particularly regarding earthquake-triggered landslides or mudslides. Limited historical earthquake data adds to the uncertainty.
To address this, UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission launched a multinational project involving India, Iran, Pakistan, Oman, and the UAE. INCOIS contributes by studying deep-sea sediments to uncover past tsunamis. Globally, 80% of tsunamis are earthquake-induced, while 20% arise from landslides, eruptions, or meteotsunamis —classified as atypical tsunamis .
“We are now focusing on research into atypical tsunamis and developing monitoring sys tems to address them,” said Balakrishnan Nair T M, group director of ocean modelling, applied research, and services at INCOIS. INCOIS, in collaboration with neighboring countries, is enhancing monitoring systems by developing hazard maps, deploying two tsunami buoys, and establishing combined observation systems for the MSZ. Established on Oct 15, 2007, the Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre at INCOIS detects tsunamigenic earthquakes and issues advisories within 10 minutes.
Equipped with seismic stations, bottom pressure recorders, tide gauges, and a warning centre, it has tracked 679 earthquakes of 6.5 magnitude and above in 15 years. Advanced warning systems and international collaboration can significantly mitigate the impact of a tsunami on the west coast.
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