Why does Delhi experience earthquakes too often? National Capital Region was not devastated because...

An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.1 hit the National Capital Region of Delhi and its adjoining areas Thursday morning. Its epicentre was located 14 kilometres deep in Jhajjar in the neighbouring state of Haryana. However, it is not the first time that Delhi has experienced such a jolt. Such minor earthquakes keep on sending waves to the residents of the national capital and the adjoining areas. Why? 

Plate tectonic theory explains Delhi earthquake

According to the Plate tectonic theory, the Earth's lithosphere, or the rigid outer shell, is made up of many large plates that have been moving for last 3-4 billion years. Plate boundary, or the faults, are geologically active and due to their movement, the Earth experiences earthquakes, volcanic activity, mountain-building, and oceanic trench formation. Delhi and its adjoining areas are located near the collision zones of the Indian and Eurasian plates. The Indian plate is moving towards the Eurasian plate at the rate of 5cm per year, and it is continuously pushing against it, generating stress along the fault line. This stress once created the Himalaya mountain range. The same stress causes earthquakes in Delhi and the adjoining areas. 

Why does Delhi earthquake cause no devastation?

Delhi is situated in the Seismic Zone IV, indicating that the area is highly prone to "medium to strong" earthquakes. So, a high-intensity quake bringing strong tremors and devastation can not be ruled out. However, most of the earthquakes taking place in Delhi, including the one on Thursday, occur due to the localised stress and so they are feeble. They don't send strong shockwaves. However, these quakes happen too often in the area. The Main Central Thrust (MCT) and the Main Boundary Thrust (MBT) caused the 1905 Kangra earthquake and the 2015 Nepal earthquake, both measuring 7.8 on the Richter Scale. 

However, according to data from the US Geological Survey, Delhi has not recorded an earthquake above magnitude 5 in the last 10 years. It experienced a 4.1 magnitude earthquake in 2022. In the last few years, the National Capital Region experienced 4 medium-level earthquakes, none of which were devastating.