Study reveals that the Ganges River may have changed direction 2,500 years ago due to a massive earthquake

An earthquake about 2,500 years ago may have caused the Ganges River to change course abruptly, a new study suggests. The quake, which had a magnitude of between 7 and 8, rerouted the river’s main channel in what is now Bangladesh, a region prone to major seismic activity. “I don’t think we’ve ever seen such a large earthquake anywhere before,” said study co-author Michael Steckler, a geophysicist at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and Columbia Climate School in the United States.

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Those visiting or planning to visit Bangladesh can explore a dynamic landscape shaped by ancient seismic activity. The findings of the study highlight the region’s dynamic geography and the potential for future seismic events to reshape the landscape. As climate change and human activities continue to impact river systems around the world, lessons learned from this ancient earthquake could hold important insights for navigating the ever-changing course of the Ganges River in the years to come. Read more: 10 facts about the Ganges, India’s largest river Nearly 2,500 years ago, a powerful earthquake, perhaps as large as 7-8 magnitude, may have dramatically changed the course of the mighty Ganges River in present-day Bangladesh. This extraordinary geological event, revealed recently in a new study published in the journal Nature

The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, highlights how such an earthquake could engulf anything in its path. The Ganges, which originates in the Himalayas, merges with the Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers before flowing into the Bay of Bengal, forming the world's second-largest river system after the Amazon.

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While setbacks, or changes in river course, are common and often caused by earthquakes, this is the first confirmed case of an earthquake causing a setback in a large delta, according to lead author Elizabeth L. Chamberlain of Wageningen University in the Netherlands.

Using satellite imagery, the researchers identified the former main channel of the Ganges River, about 100 kilometers south of Dhaka, Bangladesh. This low-lying area, about 1.5 kilometers wide and about 100 kilometers long, runs roughly parallel to the current riverbed. It floods frequently and is used primarily for rice cultivation. In 2018, the researchers found features known as seismicity in this area, indicating earthquake activity. Chemical analyses of the sand and clay suggest that a magnitude 7-8 earthquake struck about 2,500 years ago.

The quake could originate in a subduction zone to the south and east, where a plate of oceanic crust is pushing under Bangladesh, Myanmar and northeastern India, or from faults at the base of the Himalayas, which are being uplifted by the Indian subcontinent colliding with Asia. A 2016 study led by Steckler showed that these zones are accumulating stress, making them capable of producing earthquakes similar to those that occurred 2,500 years ago. Such an event today would affect about 140 million people.

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