NAMIBIA is much from resistant to earthquakes, says a geologist within the Ministry of Mines and Power, Mako Sitali.
In actual fact, the most important seismic occasion ever recorded in Namibia was a magnitude 5,6 tremor that occurred in 2009 and an analogous one recorded in 2021 within the Khorixas and Kamanjab areas.
Sitali was commenting on the 2 huge earthquakes that struck south-eastern Turkey and north-western Syria on Monday – the most important one a magnitude 7,8 earthquake – which left of their wake a swathe of destruction and demise. “Earthquakes are a pure phenomenon and tough to foretell, due to this fact, we can not inform if a magnitude 7 and above that has occurred in Turkey and Syria is more likely to happen in Namibia,” Sitali stated.
Nonetheless, even with the most important tremor of magnitude 5,6 in 2009, no materials harm was reported. This was attributed to Namibia’s low inhabitants density because the influence of earthquakes is of course extra extreme in densely populated areas.
Sitali stated the earth is dynamic and it’s repeatedly shifting, due to this fact, it’s regular to expertise earthquakes now and again. Presently, a magnitude 7,8 earthquake adopted by a magnitude 7,5 tremor killed hundreds of individuals in south-eastern Turkey and northwestern Syria.
The demise toll because of the earthquakes is over 16 000, with quakes and aftershocks persevering with to topple buildings.
In accordance with worldwide media, the earthquake has its epicentre at Kahramanmaras, in Turkey’s Gaziantep province, about 50 kilometres from the border with north-west Syria.
The US Geological Survey reported that the realm accommodates many buildings constructed of brick masonry or brittle concrete, making them extraordinarily susceptible tremors. Earthquakes and tremors recorded in Namibia are sometimes recorded in areas of structural weak point within the earth’s crust. In accordance with Sitali, present information point out that whereas quite a few earthquakes have been recorded countrywide, most earthquakes which were recorded in Namibia have occurred within the Kunene, Khomas, Erongo and within the furthermost southern areas. “That is primarily as a result of tectonic setting of those areas whereby there’s existence of fault buildings, that are principally weaker zones inside the earth crust,” Sitali stated. She stated based mostly on out there information within the Namibian earthquake catalogue, earthquakes of a magnitude lower than 3 occur on a weekly foundation, whereas these of magnitude 3 and above occur month-to-month.
“Magnitude 4 might occur twice or thrice in a yr and magnitude 5 and above occur in an interval of 5 to 10 years,” Sitali stated. “The general public is suggested to familiarise themselves with the usual worldwide security measures in case of an earthquake.”
Supply: namibian
