Geomorphic and geologic controls of geohazards induced by Nepal’s 2015 Gorkha earthquake

J.S. Kargel; G.J. Leonard; D. H. Shugar; U. K. Haritashya; A. Bevington; E.J. Fielding; K. Fujita; M. Geertsema; E. S. Miles; J. Steiner; E. Anderson; S. Bajracharya; G.W. Bawden; D. F. Breashears; A. Byers; B. Collins; M. R. Dhital; A. Donnellan; T. L. Evans; M. L. Geai; M. T. Glasscoe; D. Green; D. R. Gurung; R. Heijenk; A. Hilborn; K. Hudnut; C. Huyck; W. W. Immerzeel; Jiang Li; R. Jibson; A. Kaab; N. R. Khanal; D. Kirschbaum; P. D. A. Kraaijenbrink; D. Lamsal; Liu Shiyin; Lv Mingyang; D. McKinney; N. K. Nahirnick; Nan Zhuotong; S. Ojha; J. Olsenholler; T. H. Painter; M. Pleasants; K. C. Pratima; Q. I. Yuan; B.H. Raup; D. Regmi; D. R. Rounce; A. Sakai; Shangguan Donghui; J. M. Shea; A. B. Shrestha; A. Shukla; D. Stumm; M. van der Kooij; K. Voss; Wang Xin; B. Weihs; Wu Lizong; Yao Xiaojun; M. R. Yoder; N. Young

doi:10.1126/science.aac8353

Geomorphic and geologic controls of geohazards induced by Nepal’s 2015 Gorkha earthquake

Science

By: J.S. Kargel, G.J. Leonard, D. H. Shugar, U. K. Haritashya, A. Bevington, E.J. Fielding, K. Fujita, M. Geertsema, E. S. Miles, J. Steiner, E. Anderson, S. Bajracharya, G.W. Bawden, D. F. Breashears, A. Byers, B. Collins, M. R. Dhital, A. Donnellan, T. L. Evans, M. L. Geai, M. T. Glasscoe, D. Green, D. R. Gurung, R. Heijenk, A. Hilborn, K. Hudnut, C. Huyck, W. W. Immerzeel, Jiang Li, R. Jibson, A. Kaab, N. R. Khanal, D. Kirschbaum, P. D. A. Kraaijenbrink, D. Lamsal, Liu Shiyin, Lv Mingyang, D. McKinney, N. K. Nahirnick, Nan Zhuotong, S. Ojha, J. Olsenholler, T. H. Painter, M. Pleasants, K. C. Pratima, Q. I. Yuan, B.H. Raup, D. Regmi, D. R. Rounce, A. Sakai, Shangguan Donghui, J. M. Shea, A. B. Shrestha, A. Shukla, D. Stumm, M. van der Kooij, K. Voss, Wang Xin, B. Weihs, Wu Lizong, Yao Xiaojun, M. R. Yoder, and N. Young

https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aac8353

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Abstract

The Gorkha earthquake (magnitude 7.8) on 25 April 2015 and later aftershocks struck South Asia, killing ~9000 people 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 lithologic controls on quake-induced landslides. Timely analysis and communication aided response and recovery and informed decision-makers. We mapped 4312 coseismic and postseismic landslides. We also surveyed 491 glacier lakes for earthquake damage but found only nine landslide-impacted lakes and no visible satellite evidence of outbursts. Landslide densities correlate with slope, peak ground acceleration, surface downdrop, and specific metamorphic lithologies and large plutonic intrusions.

Suggested Citation

Kargel, J., Leonard, G., Shugar, D.H., Haritashya, U., Bevington, A., Fielding, E., Fujita, K., Geertsema, M., Miles, E.S., Steiner, J., Anderson, E., Bajracharya, S., Bawden, G., Breashears, D.F., Byers, A., Collins, B., Dhital, M.R., Donnellan, A., Evans, T.L., Geai, M.L., Glasscoe, M., Green, D., Gurung, D.R., Heijenk, R., Hilborn, A., Hudnut, K., Huyck, C., Immerzeel, W.W., Li, J., Jibson, R., Kaab, A., Khanal, N.R., Kirschbaum, D., Kraaijenbrink, P.D., Lamsal, D., Shiyin, L., Mingyang, L., McKinney, D., Nahirnick, N.K., Zhuotong, N., Ojha, S., Olsenholler, J., Painter, T.H., Pleasants, M., Pratima, K.C., Yuan, Q.I., Raup, B., Regmi, D., Rounce, D., Sakai, A., Donghui, S., Shea, J.M., Shrestha, A.B., Shukla, A., Stumm, D., van der Kooij, M., Voss, K., Xin, W., Weihs, B., Lizong, W., Xiaojun, Y., Yoder, M.R., Young, N., 2016, Geomorphic and geologic controls of geohazards induced by Nepal’s 2015 Gorkha earthquake: Science, v. 351, no. 6269, aac8353; 10 p., https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aac8353.

Additional publication details
Publication type	Article
Publication Subtype	Journal Article
Title	Geomorphic and geologic controls of geohazards induced by Nepal’s 2015 Gorkha earthquake
Series title	Science
DOI	10.1126/science.aac8353
Volume	351
Issue	6269
Year Published	2016
Language	English
Publisher	American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Contributing office(s)	Earthquake Science Center
Description	aac8353; 10 p.
Country	Nepal
Online Only (Y/N)	N
Additional Online Files (Y/N)	N