Macroseismic intensity assessment of 1885 Baramulla Earthquake of northwestern Kashmir Himalaya, using the Environmental Seismic Intensity scale (ESI 2007)

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Kashmir has a long written history of 5000 years, which provides a sketchy picture of historical earthquakes. In all, we collated details of 16 earthquakes from the historical scribes. Most of the earthquakes had their epicenters outside the Kashmir Valley. The exceptions (earthquakes with epicenters within the valley), however, caused severe damage to life and properties and were associated with ground ruptures and long periods of aftershocks. Among them, only the 1885 event is adequately described. We have analyzed environmental effects of this destructive earthquake which occurred in the northwestern Kashmir Himalaya along Pir Panjal range in the early morning (5.00 a.m) of 30 May, 1885. Using archival sources followed by field work, the present attempt envisages applying the Environmental Seismic Intensity scale (ESI 2007) for a macroseismic intensity assessment of the 1885 Baramulla Earthquake. Inferences (primary and secondary) reveal that the 1885 Baramulla earthquake local intensity would have been VI–X on the ESI scale. Baramulla, the macroseismic epicenter of the earthquake, must have witnessed epicentral intensity of X on ESI scale. The intensity must have been variable, severe at Baramulla and less at Srinagar, because of the severity of damage decreased from NW to SE.