Ancient Quake Could Have Altered Ganga River's Course

A recent study suggests an earthquake approximately 2,500 years ago may have diverted the Ganga river's course. The research, published in Nature Communications, indicates a magnitude 7-8 quake rerouted the river in present-day Bangladesh. This discovery highlights the potential for seismic activity to rapidly change river courses.

In a groundbreaking study published in Nature Communications, researchers suggest that an earthquake around 2,500 years ago may have diverted the Ganga river. Co-author Michael Steckler, a geophysicist at Columbia Climate School, believes the quake, possibly of magnitude 7-8, rerouted the river's main channel in what is now Bangladesh, a nation highly susceptible to seismic shocks.

'It could have easily inundated anyone and anything in the wrong place at the wrong time,' said Steckler. This marks the first confirmed instance of an earthquake driving a river's avulsion in deltas, particularly for an immense river like the Ganga, according to lead author Elizabeth L. Chamberlain from Wageningen University.

The study's findings have significant implications for understanding how seismic activities can rapidly alter river courses, with modern parallels suggesting similar future risks for the region's 140 million residents.

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