Geologists Association speaks about seismic situation in Jordan

There is no historical or geological evidence that earthquakes in the Anatolia region may lead to earthquakes in Jordan or Palestine, according to the Jordanian Geologists Association.

The association’s deputy head Mahmoud Al-Qaryouti explained that this is due to their different geological natures.

He said that the seismic activity in the Kingdom is concentrated along the rift in Aqaba, Wadi Araba and the Jordan Valley. It is also high in the northern rifts in Syria and several rifts in Jordan and Palestine, as well as the Karmel rift, Wadi al-Fara’a and others.

Qaryouti explained that the Arabian plate, which includes Jordan, moves to the north, with a faster horizontal movement than the African plate, which includes Palestine and Sinai, at a displacement rate of about 4 to 6 mm every year.

He stressed the importance of having teams in every residential neighborhood, in order to modernize the local seismic monitoring system and support the earthquake observatory.

He also called for forming a scientific committee to develop the seismic observatory and enable early warning.

He stressed the importance of conducting systematic studies of the seismic risk assessment of populated areas and establish new population centers accordingly.

He also spoke about the need to create an accurate database including maps of infrastructural items such as roads, sanitation, schools, hospitals and places of worship.

He stressed the need for the association to take part in the seismic risk mitigation assessment plans and earthquake response plans.