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Nepal Earthquake Strikes One of Earth's Most Quake-Prone Areas Magnitude 7.8 temblor comes in a region with a long geologic history of big earthquakes.People search for survivors in a collapsed building in Kathmandu on April 25 after a magnitude 7.8earthquake.PHOTOGRAPH BY NARENDRA SHRESTHA, EPABy Brian Clark Howard, National GeographicPUBLISHED APRIL 25, 2015A strong, magnitude 7.8 earthquake rocked Nepal early Saturday, destroying buildings,damaging historic temples, and killing hundreds. As search and rescue efforts continue throughthe day, scientists explore the powerful geologic forces that caused the disaster.The earthquake was centered 48 miles (77 kilometers) northwest of Nepal’s capital ofKathmandu, a city of 1 million. At least 2,300 people have been declared dead, mostly in Nepal,with additional victims in India and China. There are more than 4,600 injured in Nepal and thedeath toll is expected to rise as people presumed trapped in collapsed structures are found.Avalanches were also reported on Mount Everest as a result of the shaking, sending climbersrunning and reportedly killing at least 18 at base camp.After the main quake, some 14 aftershocks were felt by local people. Some were strong enoughto cause more damage, up to a magnitude 6.6, reports the UN Office for the Coordination ofHumanitarian Affairs.The earthquake struck at 11:41 a.m. local time (05:51 GMT) at an estimated depth of 9.3 miles(15 kilometers), which is considered shallow and therefore more damaging than quakes thatoriginate deeper in the ground.

The region has a long geologic history of big earthquakes, reports the U.S. Geological Survey(USGS), although they have been relatively rare in modern times. Just four events of magnitude6 or larger have been reported over the past century.The temblor was caused by a sudden thrust, or release of built-up tension, along the major faultline where the plate carrying India is slowly diving underneath the one carrying much of Europeand Asia, according to the USGS.The area is \"one of the most seismically hazardous regions on Earth,” reports the survey.The two massive plates are colliding at a rate of about 1.7 inches (45 millimeters) a year, pushingup the Himalaya mountain range in the process. But due to friction along the plate boundaries,the sliding is not smooth or even. Some of the rocks stick, causing pressure to build. When therocks finally give way under the strain, the plates jerk rapidly, releasing the energy that causes anearthquake. (Learn more about how earthquakes form.)In the area, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake in August 1988 killed nearly 1,500 people. An 8.0 eventin 1934 severely damaged Kathmandu, killing 10,600. The largest quake in the region measuredby instruments was a magnitude 8.6 event in 1950, centered in Assam in eastern India.

Both shallow and deep earthquakes have been observed in the region, thanks to its high level ofgeologic activity.