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The Northeast India region is one of the most active zones in the world; the region is jawed between the two arcs, the Himalayan arc to the north and the Indo-Burmese arc to the east. The region bounded by latitude 22-290N and longitude 90-980E, produced two great earthquakes (M> 8.0) and about 20 large earthquakes (7.0>M>8.0) since 1897. The Shillong Plateau was the source area for the 1897 great earthquake M 8.7, and the Assam Syntaxis zone for the 1950 great earthquake M 8.6. Several large earthquakes occurred along the Indo-Burma ranges. Earthquake is only natural disaster, which cannot be predicted till now and may occur at any time and pre-planned strategies for rescue of life and property are not possible and hence causes maximum devastation than other natural disaster. So, earthquake disaster mitigation and responses takes an important role to reduce the destruction of life and property. A mitigation strategy by CSIR NEIST-Jorhat  is one of the prime concepts in order to reduce the hazard. This includes basic research on earthquake seismology based on the data accrued locally based on both standalone and VSAT local seismic networks.

Dense seismic arrays that record continuously have the potential to dramatically increase the resolution of subsurface imaging, and they can also be used to monitor micro-seismicity. However, the sensors that are used in these arrays usually lack the low-frequency response of conventional earthquake monitoring networks, and are often deployed at the surface in noisy environments. This presents challenges for extracting the signal from the noise. In CSIR NEIST-Jorhat (formerly RRL Jorhat), since 1982, the intensive seismic monitoring through standalone seismic network was being operational later upgraded to digital VSAT based monitoring system in the year 2006. A seismic network of 27 (twenty seven) unmanned VSAT based online / realtime high resolution seismic broadband stations covering entire 8 (eight) states  of North East India called North East Wide Area Seismic Network (NEWSN) to intensify seismic monitoring on a real-time basis to observe the present seismicity and to understand the geodynamics of the region.

Densification of Broadband Seismic station, Strong Motion accelerograph, GPS station and Multiparamertic Geophysical observatory are being established which will farther resolute the principal techniques to be used in North-eastern India. earthquake seismology in more effectively.

The division publishes the Annual Seismological Bulletin and maintains the Seismic Database for NE India. Publication of yearly seismological bulletin by CSIR NEIST since 1982 has been the source of many research publications and research problems pertaining to Ph D thesis.

The division also provides routine update on earthquake hazard related information through our institutional webpage and issues near real-time mail notification.

Seismic vulnerability assessment of the populated cities & urban areas in NE India is another major program of the division. The division has initiated work for hazard-risk-vulnerability assessment of Shillong and greater Guwahati on priority basis.

Estimation of expected earthquake ground motion parameters is the main aim of seismic microzonation. Microzonation maps provide basic inputs for designing new infrastructure or retro-fitting of the existing ones. So far the division has completed the Phase – I microzonation of greater Guwahati and Agartala cities.

The Division also taken up a scenario development program where government engineers, architects and geologists were given hands on training on rapid visual screening through which school/college buildings and public halls, hospitals and other lifeline structures were examined based on civil design & building typology, age of construction, geological locations (vicinity of active faults) and rock types etc so that necessary retrofitting designs can be applied to minimize the risk associated.

In association with NDMA and SDMA’s the division also tries to assess multi – state earthquake disaster preparedness and evaluate the State/District Disaster Management Plans with an aim to identify gaps and generate the greater level of awareness in community about the seismic vulnerability of the region pertaining to high magnitude earthquake for risk reduction. Also it tries to generate awareness amongst the stakeholders and community about an earthquake of high magnitude and to facilitate inter-departmental and inter-state coordination in order to ensure organized and structured mechanism during the time of disaster.

Since last two decades, the Division is carrying out numbers of Internationally collaborative projects. Presently, intensive collaboration with Institute like, Institute of Physics Earth, Moscow, Earth Observatory of Singapore, Singapore, Strasbourg University, France and NORSAR, Norway  are going on pertaining to various Seismological and Tecto-Geodynamics of North Eastern India.

The division actively participated in the 18th Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica to carry out projects related to Earth Sciences as wintering over.

Mandate of the Division

Seismic hazard estimation

Vision and Mission

• To understand scrupulously the geodynamics of northeastern India and its vicinity
• Pursue Earth science towards earthquake hazard estimation and its mitigation
• Thrive for innovative idea/technology to make the region earthquake disaster free