Editing Geography of Myanmar (section)

==Natural hazards==
[[File:Mingun stupa 1839 earthquake damage.jpg|180px|thumb|right|A large fracture on the [[Mingun Pahtodawgyi]] caused by the [[1839 Ava earthquake]].]]
Natural hazards include destructive earthquakes and [[cyclone]]s. Flooding and landslides are common during the rainy season from June to September. Periodic droughts also occur.

=== Earthquakes ===
{{See also|List of earthquakes in Myanmar}}
Myanmar lies at the confluence of the [[Indian Plate]], [[Eurasian Plate]] and the [[Burma Plate|Burma microplate]]. Both the Indian-Eurasian subduction zone and the Indian-Burma plate boundaries are frequent [[hypocenters]] for earthquakes.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hurukawa |first1=Nubuo |last2=Pa Pa Tun |last3=Shibazaki |first2=Bunichiro |date=25 May 2012 |title=Detailed geometry of the subducting Indian Plate beneath the Burma Plate and subcrustal seismicity in the Burma Plate derived from joint hypocenter relocation |url=https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.5047/eps.2011.10.011.pdf |journal=Earth Planets Space |volume=64 |issue=4 |pages=333–343 |doi=10.5047/eps.2011.10.011 |bibcode=2012EP&S...64..333H |s2cid=54041617 |access-date=13 July 2022}}</ref> The continental right-lateral transform [[Sagaing Fault]] runs north-south through the middle of the country.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |date=28 March 2025 |title=Expert reaction to Myanmar earthquake |url=https://www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-myanmar-earthquake/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250328130459/https://www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-myanmar-earthquake/ |archive-date=28 March 2025 |access-date=28 March 2025 |website=Science Media Center}}</ref> It is responsible for many damaging [[List of earthquakes in Myanmar|earthquakes]] through the country's history like the [[1839 Ava earthquake]].<ref>{{citation|title=Significant Earthquake Database|url=https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/nndc/struts/form?t=101650&s=1&d=1|author=National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service (NGDC/WDS)|publisher=[[National Geophysical Data Center]], [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|NOAA]]|doi=10.7289/V5TD9V7K|year=1972|type=Data Set|access-date=13 July 2022|archive-date=15 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191215220609/https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/nndc/struts/form?t=101650&s=1&d=1|url-status=dead}}</ref> Many earthquakes with a 6-8 magnitude caused damage in the country. For example the [[1881 Nicobar Islands earthquake]], [[1941 Andaman Islands earthquake]], and the [[2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami|2004 Indian Ocean earthquake]].

=== Cyclones ===
Myanmar is also hit by a powerful cyclone roughly every two years. The highest frequency of severe cyclones occur during November and May. The past century of cyclogenesis data in the North [[Indian Ocean]] has seen a significant increase in cyclone formation during these two months.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Singh |first1=O.P. |last2=Khan |first2=Masood Ali |last3=Rahman |first3=Mohammed Sazedur |date=25 February 2001 |title=Has the frequency of intense tropical cyclones increased in the north Indian Ocean? |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/24104250 |journal=Current Science |volume=80 |issue=4 |pages=575–580 |jstor=24104250 |access-date=13 July 2022 |archive-date=13 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220713171520/https://www.jstor.org/stable/24104250 |url-status=live }}</ref> The most damaging cyclone that hit Myanmar was the [[Cyclone Nargis]] in April–May 2008; with ongoing climate change, oceans will become warmer, which may lead to cyclones becoming more intense and devastating for Myanmar.<ref>Stokke, Kristian; Vakulchuk, Roman and Indra Overland (2018) [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323018961 Myanmar: A Political Economy Analysis.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728150758/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323018961_Myanmar_A_Political_Economy_Analysis |date=28 July 2020 }} Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI). Report commissioned by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.</ref>