The April 25, 2015, Gorkha, Nepal, Earthquake: An Expected Event that Defied Expectations

• Scientists have long known that large earthquakes will inevitably occur along the Himalaya front
• Experts had long feared that large earthquakes would take a devastating toll on Nepal
• The 2015 Gorkha earthquake killed nearly 9,000 people, but the toll was not as catastrophic as had been feared
• Analysis of available data is helping scientists understand why damage was not worse, and what lessons can be drawn about hazard from future earthquakes

Speaker: Susan Hough, USGS