Specialists in physical geography confirmed to Okaz that humans cannot predict the occurrence of an earthquake, but studying the historical record of an earthquake in any area can calculate the frequency rate during a targeted period, and there are no confirmed scientific experiments linking animal behavior and the imminence of an earthquake. The specialists added that earthquakes occur as a result of the movement of the "tectonic plates", which are the plates that carry continents and water, such as the Arab, Persian, European and Indian plate, or freely, such as those that carry the Indian Ocean, for example, and under these plates lies a layer of the earth's layers called the "mantle" in which physical phenomena occur. As a result, these plates move either by colliding horizontally or vertically, one above the other, or divergence, and an earthquake occurs, and this is the natural reason for its occurrence and is known by seismologists and geologists. The specialists added that some areas of the Gulf witnessed reverberations, but it is not a center for earthquakes, just as our seas are not as deep as a tsunami is formed with. .
Moving continents
Professor of Natural Geography and Vice President of the Weather and Climate Society, Dr. Abdullah Al-Misnad, explained that God created the continents that are constantly in motion, and that they have not been inhabited since they were created through seven major tectonic plates, and a few other secondary plates, that they and the seas carry in all directions. His advent of great judgment for whoever manages it, and faults and rifts in the ground are the critical geographical points and locations, from which and because of which earthquakes occur. A crack is a fracture in the earth's crust, and cracks allow the earth's crust to move slowly through creep or quickly through an earthquake, and the length of the cracks ranges from a few meters to thousands of kilometers.
Does a person do it?
Al-Musnad indicated in his interview with “Okaz” that it is possible for a person to cause earthquakes from them when he detonates a nuclear bomb underground, or builds huge dams behind which great and heavy lakes form on the earth’s crust with faults and cracks, which may result in earthquakes of different strengths. Chinese and American studies indicated that the 2008 China earthquake; Which left 80,000 dead, is likely caused by a huge dam that holds 315 million tons of water, built at a seismically active site. One of the reasons is that a person extracts oil or drains groundwater in huge quantities, as it may result in slight tremors.
Al-Musnad reveals that a person cannot predict the occurrence of an earthquake, but studying the historical record of an earthquake in any region can calculate the recurrence rate during a targeted period, and it can be said – by reference – that such and such an area may witness an earthquake of such and such strength, during a specific period of time such as a decade or two or more. This does not mean specifying the exact time, force, or location. Therefore, no one can predict the time, place, strength, intensity, or depth of an earthquake, whatever it is.
weather and earthquakes
Professor of Natural Geography and Vice President of the Weather and Climate Society, Dr. Abdullah Al-Misnad, points out that until now there are no confirmed scientific experiments linking the behavior of animals with the imminence of an earthquake, and even if it is proven that they sense earthquakes before humans, I think that they precede it by only a few seconds, which is a useless period of time. As for a few minutes before that and so on, this is from the knowledge of the unseen, and about the relationship of weather with earthquakes, he says: There is no relationship between them at all. And about the relationship between the positions of the planets and their alignment with the planet Earth and earthquakes .. He answers that this has not been proven scientifically yet, adding that what is said about the passage of the line of the total eclipse of the sun on the earth is exposed to earthquakes, especially the weak ones, the earth’s crust passing over it, is a hypothesis that needs more Research and meditation.
Regarding the difference between an earthquake and an earthquake, Al-Musnad reports that an earthquake is weaker than an earthquake, and its magnitude is usually less than 3.5 degrees when we call it an earthquake, and a higher magnitude than that is an earthquake.
fire ring
Al-Musnad explained that the most frequent areas of earthquakes are the archipelago of Japan, the Andes mountains west of South America, and in general the Pacific Ocean, which is the most dangerous and violent in its earthquakes. Being the focus of collision of great oceanic plates, and about 81% of the largest earthquakes in the world occur in the seismic belt surrounding the Pacific Ocean in the so-called (ring of fire or ring of fire), and includes the Pacific Ocean and the surrounding islands, and the reason for that is that the region is witnessing new mountains and canyons deep in the Pacific Ocean.
It comes in second place after the belt of fire Albaid region and extends from Indonesia and the Himalayas of Iran, Turkey, southern Europe and northern Algeria and represents about 17% of the frequency of earthquakes.
relief of the earth
Professor of Natural Geography and Vice President of the Weather and Climate Society, Dr. Abdullah Al-Misnad, explained that all natural phenomena that occur in the surrounding environment have a positive side, and this is from the wisdom of the Almighty God, and His mercy, glory be to His servants,
For example, earthquakes, despite the damage that occurs because of them, are considered a continuous release of the energy stored in the ground, and had it not been for the exit of some of this energy in the form of earthquakes and tremors; the earth's crust would have exploded and shattered; As a result of the accumulated and accumulated energy under great pressure, the earthquake is a valve that liberates the accumulated and stored energy in the earth's crust as a result of the various movements of the tectonic plates, and in batches estimated by the Creator as a vent for the cases of the inner movement of the earth's crust.
Moderate and rare
Al-Musnad said: In general, it can be said that earthquake levels are described according to the following:
– Moderate (5 to 5.9) Some weak buildings may be damaged without strong ones (about 800 earthquakes occur annually).
– Large (7 to 7.9) causes significant damage over a large area (about 18 earthquakes occur annually).
– Rare (9 to 9.9) causes significant damage up to thousands of miles (occurs about once every 20 years).
– Supernatural 10 or more, making it a smooth bottom, in which you do not see crookedness or unevenness (thanks to God, it has not happened so far).
And the earthquake does not kill a person because of the tremors and vibration, but what kills the results of tremors such as tsunamis, or the collapse of buildings, bridges, landslides, and others. It can be said that a magnitude 3.5 earthquake is barely felt, 4.3 is felt by pedestrians, 4.8 awakens some sleepers, 5.4 trees sway and things fall, 6.1 some walls crack, 6.9 some houses fall and the ground cracks, 7,3 Collapses and the earth blooms, 8,1 Only resistant buildings remain, 8,9 Almost total destruction.
Al-Musnad explained that the strongest earthquake was 9.5 degrees on the Richter scale and occurred on May 22, 1960 in Chile, south of South America, and resulted from a crack approximately 1,600 km long.
This is more dangerous. Al-Musnad indicated that, by the grace of God and His mercy with His servants, an earthquake of 10 degrees cannot occur, for the simple reason that there is no crack (break in the rocks) with a length that can produce an earthquake of 10 degrees, and rocks do not bear energy conservation to the extent that it produces an earthquake. With a force of 10 degrees, it will break and shatter before that, and the strongest earthquake that can occur is estimated at 9.6 degrees, and God knows best. What is meant by earthquake depth is the distance between the earth’s surface and the epicenter of the earthquake, and it has three types: shallow earthquakes that arise at a depth of 70 km or less, and are the most dangerous due to their proximity to the earth’s surface, medium-depth earthquakes that arise at a depth between 70-300 km, and the third and last type are deep earthquakes that arise at Depth 300-700 km.
Protection and Protection – If you are inside the building, try to take cover under a table or chair.
– If you can move to the corridors in the building, even better.
– Stay away from windows and furniture that can fall.
– Do not stay in the kitchen, as it is the most dangerous because it contains falling objects.
– Do not run away from the building if the ground shakes severely, and the building sways.
– If you are directly outside, stay away from buildings, power poles, and bridges.
– If you are in the car, stop immediately, stay in the car, and do not stand under the bridges.
– After the earthquake stops, immediately shut off the gas supply, as there may be a leak.
– Do not set fire to the building, or turn on the lights in the kitchen, as there may be a leak.
– Do not expect an early response from the emergency, by virtue of their preoccupation with thousands of calls.
– If you are healthy, look for someone who is looking for help from those who are stuck or injured.
– Do not return to the building, as the earthquake may come back through successive aftershocks.
– If you are stuck between rescue, keep your energy, do not move, and seek the help of God.
Safe reboundsThe astronomer researcher Salman Al Ramadan explained that earthquakes occur as a result of the movement of tectonic plates. They are the plates that carry continents and water, such as the Arab, Persian, European, and Indian plate, or freely, such as the one that carries the Indian Ocean, for example. An earthquake occurs, and this is the natural cause of its occurrence and is known by seismologists and geologists.
And Al Ramadan indicated to “Okaz” that storing water or extracting oil could cause landslides only and not in the scientific sense of the earthquake. Rather, they knew that by the scientific means that are caused by the waves that cause earthquakes, and between the family of Ramadan, that science did not reach the expectation of the occurrence of earthquakes because their causes lie at great depths that we have no direct connection with, but they were deduced later and after the earthquake occurred, and even what is said about animals sensing them, so the extreme What happens is her escape, not an expectation.
And Al Ramadan reported that scientists built structures and even cities in earthquake zones in which natural disasters occur, including earthquakes, and their number is estimated annually at an average of 20,000, of which the devastating ones reach about 15 earthquakes, and many of their tragedies are a result of the collapse of buildings, so the design of buildings that can swing and there are multiple ideas as well .
And we – praise be to God – are in a region relatively far from the fault areas between the layers, and some areas of the Gulf may feel reverberations, but they are not centers of earthquakes, just as our seas are not as deep as a tsunami is formed with.
building code
A spokesman for the Geological Survey in Saudi Arabia, Tariq Aba Al-Khail, recently confirmed to Al-Ekhbariya channel that the application of the building code greatly reduces the damage caused by earthquakes, and confirmed that the code is resistant to earthquakes of all strengths. Aba Al-Khail added that the buildings that are constructed according to the code will be able to resist earthquakes in a large way.
specialized teams
Effective and internationally classified teams for intervention and support inside and outside the Kingdom to confront accidents of building collapses and earthquakes. There is an emergency force in five regions in Riyadh, Makkah Al-Mukarramah, Eastern, Asir and Tabuk. Search and rescue category (medium) in the other four regions, and the addition of branches of the emergency forces in the regions of the Kingdom of need, such as the Medina region and the Jazan region, and the creation of specialized teams with an international classification in accidents of landslides and earthquakes.
Muhammad Al-Koudi, a specialist in the field of insurance, revealed to “Okaz” that some insurance companies have insurance policies that cover fires and associated risks such as earthquakes and storms, and since the Arab Gulf countries did not have major climate changes except for the State of the Sultanate of Oman years ago when it was subjected to storms and floods, It did not cause significant damage, praise be to God. Most people do not think seriously about this matter, but after what happened in Syria and Turkey, there may be a change in the citizen’s view regarding home insurance, at the very least.
Mohammed Al-Shahrani (Dammam) @mffaa1
