Seismic Hazard Map of Turkey, Middle East, Iran and the Caucasus

Global Seismic Hazard Assessment Program

This portion of the Global Seismic Hazard Map shows the different levels of shaking hazard for the countries of Turkey, Iran, the Middle East and the Caucasus.

The Global Seismic Hazard Assessment Program (GSHAP), a demonstration project of the UN/International Decade of Natural Disaster Reduction, was conducted in the 1992-1998 period with the goal of improving global standards in seismic hazard assessment. The GSHAP Global Seismic Hazard Map has been compiled by joining the regional maps produced for different GSHAP regions and test areas; it depicts the global seismic hazard as peak ground acceleration (pga) with a 10% chance of exceedance in 50 years, corresponding to a return period of 475 years.

Seismic Hazard Map

Seismic Hazard Map

Increased seismic activity in Iran could affect fault zones in UAE-Gulf News

By Aftab Kazmi, Bureau Chief Published: 00:30 September 12, 2008

Al Ain: The recent increase in seismic activity in Iran could have an adverse impact on the three local fault zones in the UAE, experts said on Thursday.

The UAE has three local fault zones - near Dibba, between Bidyah and Jebel Salhal, and Wadi Hum.

Iran has a history of major earthquakes and a major fault line, the Zagros belt, passes through southern Iran.

The UAE is in close geological proximity to Iran and the Makran division of Pakistan that are considered among the biggest fault zones in the world. Most of the tremors felt in the emirates are linked to the seismic activity in those regions, according to geologists.

Wednesday's earthquake has again opened up the debate on the seismic hazards and safety of the civic

infrastructure in the country.

The UAE has a history of receiving shocks from earthquakes occurring in Iran and various locations in the

Arabian Gulf.

The northern emirates in the UAE have experienced several minor tremors and earthquakes since March

1999. A jolt struck the area on the morning of March 3, 1999, and was followed by a similar tremor on the

night of March 11.

According to the US National Earthquake Information Centre in Denver, the UAE is located on the edge of

the Arabian Tectonic Plate that has been pushing against the Eurasian plate at a rate of approximately

three centimetres per year. The fault line, the meeting points of both the plates, passes through Iran.

It is a natural phenom-enon, said experts, adding that countries located in the seismic zones, tectonic

plates, and major fault lines suffer more due to poor building constructions, lack of public awareness and

government plans to deal with such natural calamities.

"The earth is dynamic and its seismic activities are normal. People should realise that they are living on

places that are moving all the time and must take their precautions and safety measures. Those who

forget it do so at their own risk," a senior official of the Middle East and African Section of the US

Geological Survey told Gulf News.

Seismologists, he said, have divided the earth into different plates that are slowly colliding with each

other. Their movements create stress in the earth's crust that occasionally results in earthquakes.

He said more than 800,000 earthquakes occur every year but the majority of them are of low intensity and

people do not feel them. Major earthquakes normally occur occasionally.

According to UAE geologists, the earthquake risks are slightly higher in the northern and eastern parts of

the emirates due to their proximity to the Iranian fault line.

These risks are associated with infrastructure damage and their intensity may increase as these areas

are located on solid rock, unlike the sandy layers in other parts of the emirates.

The UAE has a large number of buildings and low-rise houses that were built some 20 to 30 years ago in

different parts of the emirates. These building are considered more prone to quake-related damage.

Most new buildings in the emirates are being designed according to the latest design codes that

include seismic provisions. This applies to all buildings even if they are part of island projects,

regardless of the number of storeys, said the experts.

WAM reported on Thursday that 65 aftershocks were monitored in the UAE.