November 11, 2012 Earthquake: Shwebo, Myanmar

2013, February 11, 01:12:38.8 UTC. 23.005 N, 95.885 E, 14 km depth, 6.3 mb, 6.7 Ms, 6.8 Mw. Myanmar.

Felt Reports

At least 26 people killed, 230 injured, 251 homes destroyed, 207 buildings damaged, a bridge and mines collapsed and landslides occurred in the Shwebo area. Felt (VII) at Shwebo and (III) at Male and Mandalay. Also felt at Mogok, Pyinmana, Rangoon and Taunggyi. Felt (IV) at Mae Hong Son; (III) at Bangkok, Khlong Toei and Wang Thonglang; (II) at Ban Pa Lan and Chiang Mai, Thailand. Felt widely in northern Thailand. Also felt at Kunming, China and at Aizawl, Dibrugarh and Kohima, India.

Tectonic Summary

The November 11, 2012 M 6.8 earthquake north of Shwebo, Myanmar, occurred as a result of right lateral strike-slip faulting within a broad region that accommodates the relative plate motions between the India plate to the west, and the Sunda and Eurasia plates to the east. At the latitude of this earthquake, the India plate moves north-northeast with respect to Eurasia at a velocity of approximately 50 mm/yr. While the main boundary between these plates is often mapped approximately 200 km to the west of the November 11 earthquake in the Bay of Bengal, as the northern extension of the Sunda-Andaman subduction zone, a significant component of motion between the plates is accommodated by right lateral slip along the Sagaing Fault in central Myanmar. The November 11 earthquake is consistent with rupture on or close to this structure.

Moderate to large earthquakes occur relatively frequently in Myanmar; the region within 250 km of the November 11 earthquake has hosted 8 earthquakes of M 6 or larger over the past 40 years, two of which had magnitudes greater than M 7. The M 6.9 earthquake of January 5, 1991 was located approximately 50 km north of the November 11 earthquake and caused 2 fatalities. Historic major earthquakes in Myanmar include 6 events of M 7 or larger on or near the Sagaing fault in the 26 year period between 1930 and 1956, which together were responsible for over 600 fatalities.

(above from reference #1053)

According to the Relief and Resettlement Department (RRD), 17 people died in the Shwebo earthquake, and 477 pagodas, 485 religious buildings, 199 schools, 81 government offices and 1841 houses in Mandalay and Sagaing Regions were damaged... According to RRD, the Shwebo earthquake affected 22 townships in Mandalay and Sagaing regions. (reference #10017)

38 deaths, 231 injured, $1.170 million in damages (reference #1250)