UAE: Why some residents feel earthquake shaking more strongly than others – News

After multiple earthquakes in Iran, several residents woke up from their sleep over the weekend

Some UAE residents felt the tremors more strongly than others for a variety of factors, such as whether they lived in a villa or a skyscraper, and on which floor they lived, a senior official said.

UAE residents have reported multiple earthquakes over the past few weeks due to a series of earthquakes in Iran. None of them attracted attention, but several residents gathered in a vacant lot near their homes, while others were woken from sleep by the tremors and witnessed the shaking of furniture and chandeliers.

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.

He said people who lived on the first and second floors and those who lived on the tenth floor or above would feel the intensity differently.

“People who are walking, jogging or doing some physical activity may not feel the tremor. But people who are sitting in a chair or lying in bed will feel more nervous. Another factor is whether the earthquake occurs in the morning or at night. Because morning is not as much as night. It’s quiet, so people feel more nervous at night,” he said.

In addition, the distance between the epicenter and where people live is also a major factor in feeling the intensity.

Why do aftershocks occur?

Khalifa Alebri pointed out that aftershocks usually occur after moderate or strong earthquakes, with the remaining energy released from the ground after the first tremor.

“Usually earthquakes above 6 on the Richter scale can have aftershocks of days, weeks or months, depending on the region. We shouldn’t worry about aftershocks because most of the energy is already released in the first major earthquake. So the aftershocks are mostly less intense,” he added.

The head of the tsunami warning centre at the UAE’s National Centre for Meteorology (NCM) said it is difficult to predict how long the earthquake will last because it depends on the release of energy.

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