A geologist expects earthquakes to hit Egypt and Ethiopia

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Cairo University geology professor Abbas Sharaky has warned of two more earthquakes – one in Egypt near the High Dam and the other near the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam – after an earthquake hit Ethiopia on Monday.

A new earthquake occurred at noon on May 8, 2023 at 2:26 pm Cairo time, with a magnitude of 4.4 on the Richter scale, at a depth of 9.8 kilometers, just 100 kilometers northeast of the Renaissance Dam. Charaki said it was the closest of all hundreds of earthquakes over the past 100 years in Ethiopia.

Today’s earthquake is located 420 km from Addis Ababa. He explained that an earthquake measuring 4.1 on the Richter scale occurred at dawn yesterday at a depth of 10 km in eastern Ethiopia, 650 km east of the Renaissance Dam.

While the impact of the current earthquakes may not be significant, Charaki warned that they could be more significant later if the earthquake’s strength increases when the lake’s water reserves rise to 74 billion cubic meters.

Charaki pointed out that the East African Rift Zone, which divides Ethiopia into two halves, is the most vulnerable region of Africa to earthquakes and volcanoes.

An earthquake occurred on Monday afternoon at 2:41 pm Cairo time, with a magnitude of 4.2 on the Richter scale, at a depth of 12 km, about 100 km north of the East Al Owainat Agricultural Project, and about 360 km west. Sharaky said.

Shraki explained that the quake occurred just 15 minutes after the earthquake that struck Ethiopia near the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, with a magnitude of 4.4 on the Richter scale, and a depth of 9.8 meters.

He said that there is no connection between the two earthquakes because each of them is in a different geological environment.

The southern region of Egypt, where the earthquake occurred, is geologically stable, and has no huge faults, volcanic mountains, or seismic activity, except for some mild to moderate earthquakes that increased slightly after the construction of the High Dam.

Shraki explained that it hardly rains in the area and that most of the rocks are sedimentary or granite.

Meanwhile, the Ethiopian region contains the East African Rift with surrounding basaltic volcanic mountains as well as major faults, including the Blue Nile Rift.

There is frequent seismic and volcanic activity in the Ethiopian region and steep slopes.

The Gibe II hydroelectric project on the Omo River collapsed twice during construction in 2006 and 2007, and on January 24, 2010 it collapsed ten days after it was opened.

Charaki added that three moderate earthquakes occurred on Monday, with magnitudes ranging between four and five on the Richter scale in northern, eastern and southern Africa.

He explained that there is no direct geological relationship between the three earthquakes.

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