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Potential Seismicity of
Yangon Region (geological
Approach)

Article July 2011

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Advances in Geosciences
Vol. 26: Solid Earth (2010)
Ed. Kenji Satake


c World Scientic Publishing Company

POTENTIAL SEISMICITY OF YANGON REGION

(GEOLOGICAL APPROACH)

HLA HLA AUNG

Member, Myanmar Earthquake Committee,
MES Building, Hlaing University Campus, Yangon, Myanmar
hhlaaung@gmail.com

Yangon sits on the southeast corner of Ayeyarwady Delta Basin, 35 km from

the west of Sagaing fault and on the southern spur of NNWSSE trending Bago
anticlinal ridge. Yangon is mostly covered with alluvial deposits. Bago anticline
is threatening Yangon with seismic disturbances. This disturbance might not
be a signicant one but the movement along Sagaing fault that was believed to
bring severe damage to buildings and loss of human lives in Bago and Yangon
in 1930 may have potential of causing a catastrophic earthquake in the future.
The prevailing geological structures, along with surface geological condition,
soil characteristics, and tectonic setting have made Yangon an earthquake
prone area. In this paper, an eort is made to examine Yangon region with
respect to geological knowledge, existing historical earthquake records, recent
investigation of seismic activity and seismotectonic of Yangon region to give
information on earthquake hazard for the region. Geological knowledge is very
important for analyzing geological site characteristics to consider for urban
development. To-date Yangon has annual increase in population and expanding
urban development. If an earthquake of magnitude 7.0 on Richter scale occurs
in Yangon, there would be higher damage to the buildings and more loss of
human lives.

1. Introduction
This paper is the rst attempt to give relevant information about potential
seismicity of Yangon region from the point of view of geological knowledge.
Owing to spare population and traditional construction of buildings, no
historical earthquake records had shown a catastrophic earthquake in
Myanmar. A basic element to mitigate the eect of potential damaging
earthquakes is the geological understanding of built environment, which
involves potential earthquake source areas related to rupture mechanism
and surface geology. Geological aspects are also important for earthquake

139
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140 H. H. Aung

zonation mapping, which can provide reliable and practical outcomes for
natural disaster planning projects for future earthquake, land-use planning,
and building code revision.

2. Location
Yangon is located between latitudes 16 45 N17 4 N and longitudes 96
1 E96 20 E, on the southeastern corner of the Ayeyarwady Delta basin,
at the mouth of three rivers: Yangon, Ngamoyeik and Bago rivers and
34 km from the sea in the coastal area. It has a tropical monsoon climate
with annual precipitation of 2366 mm. The average temperature is 27 C. It
has population of about six million people. Owing to the annual increase
in population, the size of the city has expanded several times than its
prewar size. Yangons pride: the Shwedagon Pagoda was built on the top
of Singuttara Hill, on the southern spur of Bago Yoma (Fig. 1). Town plan
map of Yangon is shown in Fig. 2.

18-

17 -

16 -

Fig. 1. Location and general geological map of the Ayeyarwady Delta Basin (adapted
from Geological Map,1:1,000,000).1
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Potential Seismicity of Yangon Region 141

Fig. 2. Town plan map of Yangon City.

3. Tectonic Setting
Yangon region is tectonically located on the southern spur of the NNWSSE
trending Bago anticlinal ridge, which lies immediately on the western site
of Sagaing Fault. Bago Yoma is a ridge of both geological and geomorphical
prominence ridge with 400 miles long and 40 miles wide and is composed of
Miocene rocks. Bago Yoma extends toward south into the gulf of Motamma
and might be connected to Alcock Rise.2 Yangon is 35 km in the west
of Sagaing fault. The Bago Yoma, Sagaing fault, and Central Andaman
spreading center are the most signicant structures of shear band of Sagaing
fault with 100 km width.3
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142 H. H. Aung

4. Geology
Yangon area is underlain by alluvial deposits (Pliestocene to Recent), the
non-marine uvialtile sediments of Irrawady formation (Pliocene), and hard,
massive sandstone of Pegu series (earlylate Miocene). Alluvial deposits are
composed of gravel, clay, silts, sands and laterite, which lies upon the eroded
surface of Irrawaddy formation at 34.6 m above sea level. The central part
of Yangon area is occupied by the anticlinal ridge as a backbone, 30 m above
mean sea level and covered with sands, sand rock, soft sandstones, shale,
clays, and laterite of Irrawaddy formation. The hard compact sandstone
and shale of Pegu series can be found at the northwest corner of Hlawga
lake with NNWSSE strike dipping to the east.4 Alluvial deposits are found
in the surrounding areas of the ridge (Fig. 3), whereas lateritic soils can be
found along the ridge (Fig. 4).

5. Structure
In the geological map (Fig. 2), two anticlines can be seen trending
NNWSSE and are cut by NNESSW trending transverse fault. The
folds of Bago Anticlinorium plunge gradually to the south and nally
disappear under the deposits of Ayeyarwady delta.5 Eastern fold approaches
Bago whereas western fold extends south to Yangon and further south
into the Mottama basin. The structural trends here include Twante,
Kawhmu, Yangon, and Hlegu-Thanlyin trends. They are NNWSSE
trending and are double-plunging anticlines, cut by transverse faults
trending NNESSW. Folds are aligned with axes parallel to the direction
of maximum extension and are arranged as en-echelon and oblique to
the main Sagaing fault zone (Fig. 5). These structures are the southern
most continuation of the Bago Yoma and are located quite close to
the Gulf of Mottama. Twante anticline is a symmetrical and double-
plunging anticline with gentle dip 715 on both anks. It is made up of
Irrawaddian rocks and alluvium in places. Kawhmu anticline is an elongated,
asymmetrical and doubly plunging anticline with NNWSSE strike. NNE
SSW trending en-echelon tranverse faults cut the anticline into slices.
Sabagyisan anticline is a symmetrical anticline with dips 520 plunging
to NNW.
Miocene and Pliocene rocks are folded and quarternary pebbles and
terraces are uplifted. These deformation found in Yangon region should be
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Potential Seismicity of Yangon Region 143

Fig. 3. Geological map of Yangon.6

considered due to the mobility of Bago anticline. Two terraces are found
near Yangon with 10 m thick of alluvial clays. They are situated 70 km
north from Yangon and raised 20 m above the sea level due to the uplifting
connected to the development of Bago anticline.
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144 H. H. Aung

Fig. 4. Soil map of Yangon. (Source: Land Use Bureau of Yangon).

6. Seismicity Background
In 17 December 1927, a six-grade earthquake hit Yangon and caused certain
amount of damages. It was felt 15,000 sq.km from Kyangin to Dedaye
along the western slope of Bago Yoma. In July 1930 Bago earthquake
with M = 7.3 aected Yangon, vibration spread caused damage to the
buildings and 500 persons and 50 persons were killed in Bago and Yangon,
respectively.6 The last record of the earthquake that struck Yangon is 1978,
M = 5.7. In the recent seismicity map (Fig. 6) two signicant clusters of
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Potential Seismicity of Yangon Region 145

Fig. 5. Structural trends in Yangon Region (derived from Oil map).1

epicenters draw our attention: one is along NS trending Sagaing fault and
second one is along NNWSSE trending Bago anticline. These distributions
of epicenters imply the tectonic movement along these structures, which
are tectonically active. The Yangon earthquake in 1927 probably originated
from the uplifting of Bago Yoma caused movement along the lines of
weakness below the deltaic alluvium and Bago earthquake in 1930 was
originated from the displacement on Sagaing fault. As seen in this seismic
intensity map, seismicity is high in the south of Yangon area, which
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146 H. H. Aung

Fig. 6. Seismic intensity map of Myanmar region. (Source: NEIC).

indicates that the Andaman sea region is a zone of high seismicity zone
originated at shallow depth of less than 30 km. In seismic intensity map of
Modied Mercalli Scale (U.S.G.S. earthquake catalog 19701973) (Fig. 7)
and earthquake zonation map of BagoYangon region (Fig. 8), there are
three earthquake hazard zones according to their relevant magnitude, in
which Yangon falls in seismic zone VI whereas Bago falls in seismic zone
VIII.
Based on the lithology and the structure of the area, two areas are
divided in the micro-zonation map (Fig. 9). The area along fault and fold
covered with sand rock is a critical area and the area covered with loose
sand and alluvial deposits are the most critical area because such alluvial
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Potential Seismicity of Yangon Region 147

Fig. 7. Seismic intensity map of BagoYangon region. (Source: USGS earthquake

catalog).

soil are the most vulnerable area for earthquake hazard. As earthquake can
trigger landslides, slope stability studies are very important for future urban
development. In Yangon area, most of the areas are at-lying lowland in the
deltaic region where slope gradient is gentle so that landslide can only be
taken account along the river bank (Fig. 10). To dene which area in Yangon
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148 H. H. Aung

Fig. 8. Seismic zone of BagoYangon.

has the highest risk is super-imposing the seismic hazard micro-zone map
on the slope stability map. For Yangon area, the most suitable area for
further urban development sits outside the most vulnerable seismic zone
and landslide-prone area.
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Potential Seismicity of Yangon Region 149

Fig. 9. Microzonation map of Yangon Area.

7. Active Structures and Seismicity

The historical seismicity background along the Sagaing fault, shown in
Geology of Burma by Chibbher (1983), and recent seismic investigation3
show that Myanmar lies within the broad, which is seismically active
Sagaing transform belt between India and Indochina plate. A series
of pull-apart basins from Central Andaman Basin in the south to
Hukawng Basin in the northernmost part of Myanmar and other related
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150 H. H. Aung

Fig. 10. Landslide hazard map of Yangon area.

structures such as NWSE trending thrust faults, NWSE and NNW

SSE trending en-echelon folds, the basin bounding faults of ENEWSW
trending normal faults, and NS trending strike-slip faults are formed by
the NNW-oriented extension and ENE-oriented compressive deformations.
Within through-going deformation zone, the structures formed by these
deformations as Neogene is active and these active structures are capable
of generating future earthquakes and these are the potential source areas in
Myanmar.7
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Potential Seismicity of Yangon Region 151

8. Conclusions
The aim of this brief paper is to give a prole of seismic hazard in Yangon
region from a geological approach. Geo-morphologically speaking, Yangon
lies in a coastal area of Ayeyarwady delta region, at the mouth of three
rivers and mostly covered with alluvial deposits. Tectonically, it is located
on the southern extension of Bago anticline and 35 km from the west of
Sagaing fault. Structurally, spur of Bago anticlinal ridge passes through the
center of Yangon city as a backbone and extends to the south. There are
many en-echelon folds in Yangon region trending NNWSSE and are cut by
NNESSW trending transverse faults. On the seismic aspect, Yangon falls
in seismic zone VI. The prevailing geological structures along with surface
geological condition, soil characteristics, and tectonic setting have made
Yangon an earthquake prone area. As the population increases in Yangon,
urban development has been taking place, at present, mostly on alluvial
deposits. Now there are many high-rise buildings in many parts of Yangon.
Damage potential to the buildings and loss of lives in a future earthquake
with magnitude of 6 or 7 on Richter scale in Yangon would be much larger
than that in 1927 and 1930.

References
1. F. Bender, Geology of Burma (Gebruder Borntraeger, Berlin Stittgart,
Germany, 1983).
2. J. R. Curray, J. Asia Earth Sci. XX (2005) 142.
3. C. Rangin, GIAC Conf. Yangon, Myanmar (19961999).
4. W. Naing, M. Sc. Thesis, Univ. of Yangon (1970), unpublished.
5. G. P. Gorshkov, Byull. Sovj. Seim. 12 (in Russ.) (1959).
6. H. L. Chhibber, The Geology of Burma (Macmillan and Co. Limited,
St. Martins Street, London, 1934).
7. H. H. Aung, Advance in Geosciences 13 (2009).