IMOAS: Causes of recurring tremors, excluding oil drilling

INA - BAGHDAD 

Iraqi meteorological Organization and Seismology - IMOAS identified on Saturday,  the expected reasons for the recurrence of earthquakes in the last ten years and their proven areas, while stressing that Iraq is located in the second largest seismic area in the world. 

"The recurrence of earthquakes in certain areas in Iraq during the past ten years came because the country is located in the northeastern part of what is known as the (Arabian Plate) because the plate has been undergoing continuous movement in recent years, which caused seismic activity, which is normal for this reason,” said the Associate Director of the Seismic Monitoring Department at IMOAS, Hassanein Jassim to Al-Iraqiya News TV, followed by the Iraqi News Agency (INA). 

He added, "Also, Iraq is located in the second largest seismic belt in the world, and it extends from southern Europe, then Turkey, then northern and eastern Iraq, and as we approach the northern, northeastern and eastern regions as well, we find it more active because of its nature,” 

"Detecting the direct causes of earthquakes, in an accurate manner, requires specialized studies and special equipment. What is said about the cause of oil drilling and causing fractures in the earth's crust is far from reality," he noted. 

Jassim commented regarding the number of tremors that Iraq has experienced in recent years, saying "the country experienced more than 1,600 tremors in 2018, and in 2020, the number of recorded tremors reached 310, as the last year was 354, most of which were not felt,"