Story highlightsA magnitude-7.8 ear

Story highlights
A magnitude-7.8 earthquake struck Nepal on Saturday
Colin Stark: We knew this disaster would come
Colin Stark is Lamont Associate Research Professor at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University. The views expressed are his own.

(CNN)In a tragic echo of the catastrophic events in Haiti in 2010, a powerful earthquake struck one of the poorest nations on Earth today. The latest estimates from seismologists put the magnitude at 7.9, which would actually makes it about 40% larger than the 7.8 currently being reported. That's less than half the size of the previous major event nearby in 1934, which killed around 10,000 people.

Unfortunately, it is quite possible the number of dead in Kathmandu could rise to match it.

We knew this disaster was coming eventually. Geophysicists have long monitored how fast the Earth's plates are moving, and we know that the entire subcontinent of India is being driven slowly but surely underneath Nepal and Tibet at a speed of around 1.8 inches per year. It's the reason Everest exists.

Over millions of years, the squeezing has crushed the Himalayas like a concertina, raising mountains to heights of several miles and triggering earthquakes on a regular basis from Pakistan to Burma. Saturday's quake was neither unusual nor unexpected, although it was larger than most.

In the 81 years since the 1934 Bihar earthquake, the land mass of India has been pushed about 12 feet into Nepal. Think of all that movement getting stored in a giant spring lying under Nepal. The spring is stuck on a broad, rough surface which we call a fault plane (a fault line is what we see when it emerges from the ground).

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Story Highlights
A Magnitude-7.8 Earthquake Struck Nepal on Saturday
Colin Stark: We Knew this would Disaster Come
Colin Stark is Associate Research Professor Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at The Lamont, Columbia University. The Views expressed are His own. (CNN) In a Tragic Echo of The catastrophic events in Haiti in 2010, a powerful Earthquake Struck One of The Nations poorest on Earth today. The latest estimates from seismologists put the magnitude at 7.9, which would actually makes it about 40% larger than the 7.8 currently being reported. That's less than Half The size of The Previous Major event in one thousand nine hundred and thirty-four nearby, which killed 10,000 People Around. Unfortunately, it is possible Quite The number of Dead Rise to Match it could in Kathmandu. We Knew this was Coming Disaster eventually. Geophysicists have long monitored how fast the Earth's plates are moving, and we know that the entire subcontinent of India is being driven slowly but surely underneath Nepal and Tibet at a speed of around 1.8 inches per year. It's The Reason Everest exists. Over Millions of years, The Himalayas The squeezing has crushed like a concertina, Raising Mountains to heights of Several miles and triggering Earthquakes on a regular BASIS from Pakistan to Burma. Saturday's Quake was neither unexpected nor Unusual, although it was larger than Most. In The 81 years since The 1,934th Bihar Earthquake, The Land mass of India has been pushed About 12 feet Into Nepal. Think of all that movement getting stored in a giant spring lying under Nepal. The spring is stuck on a broad, rough surface which we call a fault plane (a fault line is what we see when it emerges from the ground).