Mizoram’s zone of “scary” earthquakes is caught between two subterranean faults called the ‘Churachandpur Mao Fault’.
Try this question from CSE Mains 2014:
Q.Why are the world’s fold mountain systems located along the margins of continents? Bring out the association between the global distribution of Fold Mountains and the earthquakes and volcanoes.
Churachandpur-Mao Fault (CMF)
- The CMF is named after two places in Manipur and runs north-south into Myanmar along the border of Champhai.
- The Mat Fault runs northwest-southeast across Mizoram, beneath river Mat near Serchhip.
- It is defined by straight valleys; most prominent being between Kangpokpi and Maram region of Mizoram.
- The fault takes a north-easterly trend from Maram where the fault zone is characterized by active landslides during the monsoon.
Why study CMF?
- Faults are discontinuities or cracks that are the result of differential motion within the earth’s crust.
- Vertical or lateral slippage of the crust along the faults causes an earthquake.
