The May 12, 2015 M 7.3 Nepal earthquake occurred as the result of thrust faulting on or near the main thrust interface between the subducting India plate and the overriding Eurasia plate to the north. At the location of this earthquake, approximately 80 km to the east-northeast of the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu, the India plate is converging with Eurasia at the rate of 45 mm/yr towards the north-northeast – a fraction of which (~18 mm/yr) is driving the uplift of the Himalayan mountain range.
The preliminary location, size and focal mechanism of the May 12 earthquake are consistent with its occurrence on the décollement associated with the Main Himalayan Thrust, which defines the subduction thrust interface between the India and Eurasia plates. This earthquake is the largest aftershock to date of the M 7.8 April 25, 2015 Nepal earthquake known as the Gorkha earthquake, which was located 150 km to the west of the May 12 event, and which ruptured much of the decollément between these two earthquakes.
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