Tibet Hit by Magnitude 3.3 Earthquake
Tibet experienced a magnitude 3.3 earthquake on Tuesday, according to the National Center for Seismology (NCS). The quake occurred at a shallow depth of 10 km, making the area prone to potential aftershocks.
In an X post, the NCS reported: “EQ of M: 3.3, On: 30/09/2025 04:28:36 IST, Lat: 30.19 N, Long: 95.23 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Tibet.”
Shallow earthquakes like this are generally more hazardous than deeper ones because their seismic waves travel a shorter distance to the surface, causing stronger ground shaking. This can lead to more structural damage and higher risk of casualties.
The Tibetan Plateau is known for its seismic activity due to tectonic plate collisions. Tibet and Nepal sit on a major fault line where the Indian tectonic plate pushes against the Eurasian plate, making earthquakes a frequent occurrence. These tectonic movements contribute to the uplift of the Himalayas.
The plateau’s high elevation results from crustal thickening caused by this plate collision. Faulting within Tibet involves both strike-slip and normal mechanisms, with the plateau stretching east-west. Northern Tibet primarily experiences strike-slip faulting, while the south is dominated by east-west extension along north-south trending normal faults.
Satellite imagery in the late 1970s and early 1980s first identified seven north-south trending rifts and normal faults in southern Tibet. These formed between 4 and 8 million years ago during tectonic extension.
The largest earthquakes in Tibet, often reaching magnitudes of 8.0 or higher, occur along strike-slip faults. In contrast, earthquakes caused by normal faulting are smaller. For example, in 2008, five normal-fault earthquakes across the plateau ranged from magnitudes 5.9 to 7.1.
