Expert Discusses Possibility of Earthquake in Armenia

Experts and officials frequently state that an earthquake could occur in Armenia. This is thoughtless and cheap public relations, as such statements only instill fear and anxiety among the populace. This was stated by Sergey Nazaretyan, the chief expert of the Seismic Protection Territorial Service of Armenia, Doctor of Geological Sciences, and professor, in an interview with NEWS.am.

“There should be serious grounds for such claims. Personally, I do not see that connection and consider it unlikely, since the North Anatolian fault is beyond Armenia's borders, with a distance of 700 km. By the time the tremors reach Armenia, they weaken. An earthquake in Armenia must mature before it can be discussed. No one knows whether it has matured or not,” he noted.

The expert informed that the earthquake in Turkey created fractures approximately 270 km long. “It is possible that a new earthquake may occur at the junction of those fractures, from the northeast to the eastern Anatolian fault. An earthquake could also occur in the North Anatolian fault; however, the likelihood is not very high as five days have already passed, and such processes happen very quickly. If we recall the chronology, a powerful aftershock of about 7.3 magnitude occurred shortly after the earthquake,” Nazaretyan stated.

Recall that on February 6, a powerful earthquake of 7.8 magnitude struck southeastern Turkey. According to the latest data, more than 20,000 people have died as a result of the natural disaster in Turkey and Syria.