Sindh’s prime minister Murad Ali Shah said on Tuesday that low intensity tremors helped prevent important earthquakes while trying to calm panic caused by the recent seismic activity that continued for the third day in Karachi.
The metropolis continued to witness weak tremors today, taking the count from Sunday to 20, according to the data provided by the Pakistan Meteorology Department (PMD). Previously, experts have indicated that such minor seismic activities “are preferred” high intensity earthquakes by constantly releasing accumulated energy within tectonic plates.
“I have also studied engineering […] These (low -scale tremors) are good. The Earth is releasing its energy, ”said CM Shah, responding to journalists’ consultations about yesterday’s prison incident in Karachi.
He explained that if the Earth released its seismic energy completely, it could result in an important earthquake. “But if it is thrown in bits, then it is better, nothing is really better, but saves us from a great tragedy,” Murad added.
The most recent tremor occurred at 11:52 AM and measured 2.0 on the Richter scale, with its epicenter located 23 kilometers east of Malir, according to PMD data.
Since Sunday, when the series of minor earthquakes began, the total registered tremors near Malir is nine, five near the Defense Housing Authority, three near Quaidabad, along with one near the city of Gadap, Korangi and Dha City on the outskirts of Karachi.
The shock of 3.6 magnitude on Sunday night was the most significant, while the lowest measure was 2.0 magnitude today morning.
Karachi’s chief meteorologist Amir Hyder Laghari said yesterday that there was a line of historical failure that has been activated, causing frequent earthquakes in the city.
He said that the failure is to release his seismic energy, and when spent, the magnitude of the tremors will be reduced. Laghari added that he hoped that small -scale shakes will end within a week.
Murad’s comments today echoed opinions expressed by Laghari and other experts, who have said that the possibilities of a large earthquake in Karachi are low.
Pakistan falls to three important tectonic plates, the Arabic, Eurasian and Indian, according to the geological engineer Muhammad Rean, creating five seismic areas within the country.
Dr. Imran Ahmed Khan, from the Department of Geography of the University of Karachi, said that an imbalance between the Indian, Eurasian and Arab plates may be causing tremors in the city. He added that earthquakes will probably stop when a balance between the plates has been achieved.
Dr. Adnan Khan, an associated professor at the GU department of GU, said that a large earthquake was unlikely in Karachi, since the city was located far from the limits of the active plates.
“Karachi is called a” passive margin “, so the possibilities of a great earthquake occurring there.
Dr. Imran explained that the Indian tectonic plate moves up between 4 and 5 centimeters every year in the Himalayas region.
At the same time, the Euroasymatics plaque is pushing against it. As these two plates press with each other, they accumulate pressure, and when the pressure becomes too much, it is recovered and released as energy, causing earthquakes.
The country had witnessed around 20 earthquakes of low intensity in the first half of February, an average of more than one tremor every day.
In April, they felt shaken in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, including Peshawar, Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Lahore, twice that month.
