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Tremors and aftershocks are often felt in northern parts of the country
Representative photo
UAE residents have reported multiple earthquakes over the past few weeks due to a series of earthquakes in Iran. An earthquake of magnitude 4.2 to 6.3 on the Richter scale struck southern Iran on Saturday, according to the NCM. Aftershocks were also reported after the earthquake.
In an exclusive interview with Khaleej Times, Khalifa Alebri, head of the tsunami warning centre at the UAE’s National Centre of Meteorology (NCM), said UAE residents should not worry about earthquakes as global earthquake codes apply to buildings in the country.
“The UAE has adopted seismic design codes for buildings as part of its disaster risk reduction policy for natural disasters. These design codes are applied to all buildings in the country and it is one of the requirements for obtaining a building permit. Therefore, we should not be concerned about these earthquakes, “He says. He added that people in northern regions such as Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah are used to feeling the tremors because of their proximity to southern Iran, which is the epicenter of most of the country’s earthquakes. “In Abu Dhabi, people feel a tremor every one or two years, and it’s very low,” he said.
Khalifa Alebri said earthquakes do not occur at any particular time of year or any particular season.
“There is no earthquake season. Technology is not yet at the level of predicting earthquakes. It can happen any time of the year.”
Earth is made up of a series of fragments, or tectonic plates, that move slowly over time. Convergence boundaries occur when two tectonic plates move against each other, such as the Arabian plate colliding with the Eurasian plate along the Zagros Mountains in southern Iran. Earthquakes are common on these boundaries.
“Earthquakes mainly occur at plate boundaries, so the UAE is protected from extreme earthquakes. Most UAE residents feel the tremors due to the earthquake in southern Iran. The UAE has a small fault line in the northeast of the country, which usually produces a magnitude of 2.0 or 3.0. Earthquakes, these quakes are harmless.” He added that people were only feeling the quakes “slightly”.
Correct behavior during an earthquake
Khalifa Alebri urged people to educate themselves about earthquakes as it will help them overcome their fears.
He added that in areas where tremors are often felt, people know how to behave because of their knowledge and awareness.
“Right behavior is important before, during and after earthquakes. We should increase our knowledge about earthquakes so that we can recognize their intensity, not fear them.”
Building management can advise tenants on whether to stay indoors or go out during seismic activity, he added.
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