Magnitude 3.0 Earthquake Strikes Tibet; Shallow Depth Raises Concerns

• A 3.0 magnitude earthquake hit Tibet on Saturday, January 24, 2026, at 03:40:55 IST, as reported by the National Center for Seismology (NCS).
• The earthquake occurred at a shallow depth of 10 km, which typically leads to stronger ground shaking and potential damage due to shorter travel distance for seismic waves.
• Tibet is located on the seismically active Tibetan Plateau, a region prone to earthquakes due to the collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates.
• The collision of these plates formed the Himalayas and causes crustal thickening, leading to frequent seismic activity, including both strike-slip and normal faulting.
• Historically, Tibet has experienced large earthquakes, with magnitudes up to 8.0 along strike-slip faults, and smaller normal faulting earthquakes, such as five events between 5.9 and 7.1 in 2008.

Why It Matters: A shallow 3.0 magnitude earthquake struck Tibet, highlighting the region's high seismic activity due to tectonic plate collisions.