Seismic monitoring equipment in Ireland has recorded the powerful earthquake that devastated parts of Myanmar and Thailand on Friday, demonstrating the global reach of major seismic events.
The magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck approximately 17km northwest of Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, at around 12:50am local time (6:21am Irish time). This initial shock was followed by a significant 6.4 magnitude aftershock just 12 minutes later.
Despite being thousands of kilometers away, Ireland’s sensitive seismometers were able to detect the powerful tremors as they traveled through the Earth’s crust, highlighting the extraordinary force of the disaster.
According to The Irish Examiner, the earthquake has caused extensive damage in the affected regions, with reports of collapsed buildings and infrastructure. Emergency response efforts are currently underway in Myanmar and neighboring Thailand, where the quake was also strongly felt.
This detection by Irish instruments serves as a reminder of how modern seismic monitoring networks provide crucial global coverage for tracking major geological events, regardless of geographic distance.