MEMOIRS 



OF 



THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA. 



Thh Burma Earthquakes oh May 191 2, By J. Coggin 

 Brown, M.Sc, F.G.S., Assistant Superintendent, 

 Geological Survey of India. 



INTRODUCTION. 



In his survey of the geographical distribution of recorded earth- 

 quakes, K. de Montessus de Baflore, referring to Burma and adjoin- 

 ing regions, has remarked, — " Aussi les tremblements de terre sont- 

 ils frequents et redoubtables dans tous ces pays. Malheureusement, 

 les informations seismiques sont encore bien insuflisantes dans le 

 detail, et il n'a jamais ete fait d'observations gystematiqiies.^ 1 ) 



Beyond the dates of a few earthquakes which occurred in Burma 

 during the latter part of the 17th and in the 18th century, and 

 the meagre details of the effects of two or three of them'. as 

 collected and recorded by T. Oldham in 1883 ( 2 ), practically no 

 accurate information exists about the seismic disturbances which 

 universal traditions of the Burmese people assert to be frequent 

 and severe in many parts of their country. 



That these traditions are likely to be true is suggested by the 

 intense folding of the mountains of the province, and bv a con- 

 sideration of the more recent geologic events to which the area 

 has been subjected. In these accounts of the earthquakes which 

 were felt throughout Burma during the latter part of May 1912. 

 and which were also felt in Siam and in the Yunnan province 



1 F. de .Montessus de Ballme. i.es Tn -it i i»l« nu ni s de Terre. Geographic Seos- 

 mologjauo. Paris, 1906, p. I <»i?. 



8 Thomas Oldham. A Catalogue of [ndian Earthquakes from the earliest time to 

 the end of A.D. 1869. Mem., Geol. Jot., I»d., Vol. XIX. pt. 3, Calcutta. lSbo. 



B 



