India, Feb. 27 -- A 5.1-magnitude earthquake struck near Odisha's Puri district on Tuesday, jolting residents awake at 6:10 am. The tremor centred 91 km deep in the Bay of Bengal, shook coastal areas from Balasore to Paradip, including Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. While no casualties or damage were reported, many described brief but unsettling shaking.

To ascertain whether Odisha lies at risk of further or even higher-intensity earthquakes, it is important to consider the factors contributing to it, namely the tectonic plates including the Mahanadi Graben.

Geological Faults and The Mahanadi Graben The Mahanadi Graben is a geological structure formed due to tectonic activities, such as rifting and subsidence, which occurred during the breaku...