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See - Sada Elbalad
04-06-2025
- Climate
- See - Sada Elbalad
NRIAG: Egypt Lies 600 km Away from Seismic Belts
Rana Atef Dr. Sherif El-Hady, Head of the Earthquake Department at the National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics, confirmed that Egypt's borders are about 600 kilometres away from the seismic belts, explaining that an earthquake is a sudden shake. The series of earthquakes that occurred in Egypt over the past few days are a result of unexpected seismic activity. El-Hady added, during a phone interview on the program "Al-Hayat Al-Youm" with journalist Mohamed Mostafa Sherdy, broadcast on Al-Hayat Channel, that the sudden seismic activity is due to the nature of the land, and it may subside for long periods. He emphasized that the recent earthquakes are not an indication of a large-scale earthquake or a disaster. He continued, 'The duration of the most recent earthquake was 12 seconds, and it could vary if you are farther from the coast. The farther you are, the shorter the duration. We conduct studies for every earthquake that occurs, and these studies might continue for years to fully understand this phenomenon.' read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier News Australia Fines Telegram $600,000 Over Terrorism, Child Abuse Content Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Sports Neymar Announced for Brazil's Preliminary List for 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers News Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly Inaugurates Two Indian Companies Arts & Culture New Archaeological Discovery from 26th Dynasty Uncovered in Karnak Temple Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War Arts & Culture Zahi Hawass: Claims of Columns Beneath the Pyramid of Khafre Are Lies News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks News Shell Unveils Cost-Cutting, LNG Growth Plan
Al-Ahram Weekly
29-05-2025
- Science
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Tremors rattle Egypt - Egypt - Al-Ahram Weekly
Egypt recently suffered two successive tremors. Reem Leila tries to find out if the country is becoming an earthquake zone. In the past couple of weeks, Egypt experienced two earthquakes. The first, of a magnitude 6.4 on the Richter scale, took place on 14 May. Eight days later, residents woke up to a 6.2 earthquake. They were felt by wide segments of the population across various governorates — from Greater Cairo and the Delta to the northern coast. Although the epicentres of both quakes were located south of the Greek island of Crete, hundreds of kilometres away from Egyptian territory, their strength, exceeding six according to the Richter scale, was enough to concern Egyptians. Citizens reacted strongly. Social media was filled with testimonies and questions about the nature and causes of the earthquakes, and an increased search for information regarding safety. According to the National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (NRIAG), Egypt is not located within major seismic belts and earthquakes occurring deep in the Mediterranean Sea do not pose a direct threat to the country. According to Sherif Al-Hadi, head of the Earthquake Department at the NRIAG, Egypt is not sitting on any seismic belts and is not threatened by earthquakes. 'The term seismic belt means that we would be constantly alert day and night due to consecutive earthquakes,' Al-Hadi said, explaining that what is currently happening is that Egypt is affected by several seismic belts outside its borders. Among these seismic belts are those passing through the Mediterranean Sea south of the islands of Cyprus and Crete. One of those is a low-activity seismic belt 390 km away from Cairo. The other is more than 700 km away from Cairo and has almost no effect on Upper Egypt. Al-Hadi confirmed that Egypt 'is at a safe distance, and what is happening is only the sensation of tremors, especially on the upper floors, without any damage to infrastructure or any losses of lives or property.' Abbas Sharaki, a Cairo University geology professor, told Al-Ahram Weekly that most of the earthquakes felt in Egypt originate from the Mediterranean Sea, particularly from the regions near Greece and Turkey. Sharaki said that some of the zones prone to feeling earthquakes include the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the area extending from the Dead Sea up to Turkey. Greece is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world, he added. However, he added that although thousands of earthquakes are recorded there each year, severe damage or fatalities are rare. He described the region as a very active and systematic seismic zone that has experienced stronger earthquakes in the past, but none have seriously impacted Egypt. Sharaki also noted that the NRIAG is closely monitoring the aftershocks, which so far have been mild. Over the long-term there are expectations of an earthquake occurring in the seismic belt area with a magnitude 6.5. Such events, according to Al-Hadi, happen from time to time but unlike weather, earthquakes cannot be predicted because the nature of the earth is completely different from the nature of the weather. 'What we do is estimate the likelihood of earthquakes based on seismic zones, which may become dormant at times and active at others,' he said. Al-Hadi advised the public, when feeling any tremors, to avoid elevators and use the stairs, and to remain calm, as panic can lead to chaos and stampedes, which in turn cause injuries. * A version of this article appears in print in the 29 May, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
