An earthquake of magnitude 3.0 struck Tibet in the early hours of Sunday, the National Center for Seismology (NCS) said. According to NCS, the earthquake occurred at 03:13 AM Indian Standard Time (IST), at a depth of 10 kilometres. NCS said on X, "EQ of M: 3.0, On: 30/11/2025 03:13:53 IST, Lat: 28.05 N, Long: 87.76 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Tibet." Earlier in November, Tibet experienced an earthquake measuring 3.8 in magnitude. NCS said, "EQ of M: 3.8, On: 11/11/2025 04:14:18 IST, Lat: 28.55 N, Long: 86.90 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Tibet."
Shallow earthquakes are generally more dangerous than deeper ones. This is because seismic waves from shallow quakes travel a shorter distance to the surface, causing stronger ground shaking, more damage to buildings, and potentially higher casualties.
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The Tibetan Plateau is known for frequent seismic activity due to tectonic plate collisions. Tibet and Nepal lie on a major fault line where the Indian plate pushes into the Eurasian plate, making earthquakes a common occurrence. These tectonic uplifts are strong enough to alter the heights of the Himalayan peaks.
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Formation of the Tibetan Plateau
The high elevation of the Tibetan Plateau is due to crustal thickening caused by the collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates, which also created the Himalayas. Faulting within the plateau includes both strike-slip and normal fault mechanisms. The plateau stretches east to west, as shown by north-south grabens, strike-slip faults, and GPS data.
Tectonic Patterns Across Tibet
In northern Tibet, strike-slip faulting is the dominant tectonic style. In the southern region, east-west extension along north-south trending normal faults is more common. Seven north-south trending rifts and normal faults were first identified in southern Tibet during the late 1970s and early 1980s using satellite imagery. These faults formed about 4 to 8 million years ago as the region underwent extension.
Earthquake Magnitudes in Tibet
The largest earthquakes in Tibet, with magnitudes of around 8.0 or higher, occur along strike-slip faults. Normal faulting earthquakes tend to be smaller in magnitude. For example, in 2008, five normal faulting earthquakes measuring between 5.9 and 7.1 struck various parts of the plateau.