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Geomorphic and Geologic Controls of Geohazards Induced by Nepal’s 2015 Gorkha Earthquake

Updated Date: 9/8/2020 2:03:50 PM

The Gorkha earthquake (M 7.8) on 25 April 2015 and later aftershocks struck South Asia, killing 9,000 and damaging a large region. Supported by a large campaign of responsive satellite data acquisitions over the earthquake disaster zone, our team undertook a satellite image survey of the earthquakes’ induced geohazards in Nepal and China and an assessment of the geomorphic, tectonic, and geologic controls on quake-induced landslides. Timely analysis and communication aided response and recovery and informed decision makers. We mapped 4312 co-seismic and post-seismic landslides and surveyed 491 glacier lakes for earthquake damage, but found only 9 landslide-impacted lakes and no visible satellite evidence of outbursts. Landslide densities are correlated with slope, peak ground acceleration, surface downdrop, and specific metamorphic lithologies and large plutonic intrusions.