Bigger quake possible, says academic

Dubai: Saturday night's earthquake, that woke residents in Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah is an indication of a possibly bigger earthquake in the waiting, said a professor at the American University of Sharjah.

"The epicentre of the earthquake, which struck on Saturday night at 10.18pm, was the Arabian Sea, some 74km southwest of Qeshm island of Iran and about 160km from Sharjah and Dubai, said Dr Jamal A. Abdullah, Associate Professor at the Civil Engineering Department of the AUS and In Charge of the AUS Earthquake Observatory Centre.

He said the intensity of the quake was 4 on the Richter Scale and it was located 18km deep in the sea.

"It was very close to the place where the earthquake measuring at magnitude 5.9 on Richter Scale struck on November 27, 2005. This is not a good sign. Repeated seismic activities at the same spot indicate a bigger earthquake in the waiting - as big as magnitude 7 on the Richter scale," he said in a post quake analysis which he prepared in association with Aqeel Ahmad, who looks after the AUS's earthquake monitoring centres.

Not strong

But he said no one knows when it would happen. "There is a probability that it could happen during the next 50 years," he said.

Jolts of Saturday night's earthquake were felt in parts of Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah. "It was not strong enough to cause any damage to buildings and infrastructure," he said.

Dr Abdullah said there has been a noticeable increase in the magnitude and frequency of seismic events in the northern region of the UAE.

"There are several earthquake events that took place in recent years and this is the result of increased seismic activity in Southern Zagros fault and Markan subduction zone," he added.

He said the UAE sits near the edge of the Arabian Plate adjacent to the Iranian plateau and close to Zagros Fault, which is characterised by high seismic activity.

He said the Iranian plateau frequently suffers destructive and catastrophic earthquakes.

"Due to its proximity to the Iranian block, and the recent increase in seismic activity in the region, the UAE is also vulnerable, in varying degrees, to earthquakes that are occurring at and around the Zagros fault," he noted.

Monitoring region since 2000

• The American University of Sharjah Earthquake Observatory Centre, which has monitoring nodes in Sharjah, Dibba-Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, Masafi and Fujairah, has recorded a number of earthquakes since it was established in December 2000.
• Earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter Scale in Dibba-Fujairah on March 11, 2002.
• Strong tremors recorded in December 2002 and April 2003.
• Earthquake in Qeshm on November 27, 2005 measuring 5.9 on the Richter Scale, was felt in most parts of the UAE.
• A moderate earthquake was also recorded in Dibba-Fujairah on June 29, 2006.