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'UAE is safe from strongest possible earthquake in Iran'

DUBAI - The strongest earthquake possible on the Zagros fault in Iran will have no significant impact on the UAE, an international expert on earthquakes told Khaleej Times yesterday.

Professor Dr Azm Al Homoud, Middle East Representative of the World Agency of Planetary Monitoring and Earthquake Risk Reduction (WAPMERR), said that the distance between the epicentre of earthquakes in Iran, as well as the focal depth of these earthquakes, dissipates a considerable amount of the actual energy before it reaches the UAE.

“The earthquake that occurred in Iran yesterday had its epicentre 130 kilometres North-Northeast of Bandar Abbas, some 400 kilometres from the UAE. The focal depth of this earthquake was 60 kilometres from the ground. The distance and the focal depth, therefore, minimised the effect of the quake,” Prof Al Homoud said.

He explained that the "waves" that reach the UAE following such earthquakes in Iran are large period in nature (short frequency) and have no impact on buildings and structures.

He elaborated that high rise buildings in the UAE are anyway built with consideration for wind loads and as such large period waves resulting from quakes cause normal vibrations that can be felt by occupants on the upper floors.

Prof Al Homoud said that more attention should be given to the local Dibba fault, which according to international experts can cause earthquakes with magnitude of up to 6 on the Richter scale. He, however, pointed out that common people need to be made aware that there is no reason to panic.

"The municipalities and concerned authorities across the UAE have implemented design and building codes that make structures capable of withstanding quakes of up to 6 on the Richter scale. That covers for the local earthquakes," he explained.

He noted that since the beginning of this year there have been four to five earthquakes of magnitude 4 or higher, and all these within a range of 200 to 300 kilometres from the UAE.