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Akif Alizadeh: â€œStrong earthquakes donâ€™t threaten Azerbaijan, but tensions on Earth crust are increasingâ€

22 June 2012 10:03 (UTC +04:00)

Director of the Institute of Geology Akif Alizadeh said that US and Azerbaijani scientists observed deformation of the Earth crust in north of Kur plain (south hill-side of Great Caucasus mountainous chain) and south of Absheron peninsula.

The Institute of Geology of Azerbaijan and Massachusetts Technology Institute (MTI) of the US have conducted space researches since 1998 and concluded that there is an intensity of tensions in above-mentioned areas.

GPS (Global Positioning System) researches are directed toward determination of geodynamic conditions and possibility of earthquakes in Azerbaijan. The research work was led by head of geodynamics and seismology department of the Institute of Geology Professor Fakhraddin Gadirov and MTI Professor Robert Reilinger.

This geodynamic conditions in the territory of Azerbaijan was discussed with the experts of the Institute of Geology, MTI, Ministry of Emergency Situations, State Oil Company of Azerbaijan, BP, Republican Seismological Service Center and other relevant organizations. The reports describe the complications of current geodynamic situation and permanent deformations in the Caucasus, which is a historically seismic zone. GPS research in Azerbaijan and surrounding territories showed that Arabian Plate squeezes and deforms the territory of Caucasus and leads to collection of deformation energy on Earth crust around Baku increasing the possibility of earthquakes in the region. Taken into consideration the density of population and oil infrastructure, as well as geological structure, threats of weak deformations and earthquakes also couldnâ€™t be ruled out. â€œWe have 36 GPS research stations. There are thousands of such stations in Japan. We need to increase the number of such stations to make more exact prognosis. We will increase the number of stationsâ€.

Alizadeh said that Natural Hazards published an article about the latest situation of Azerbaijanâ€™s geodynamic conditions named â€œKinematics of the Caucasus near Baku, Azerbaijanâ€ by the Azerbaijani and the US scientists. Reilinger and another US specialist Mike Floyd gave an interview to the news portal of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology: â€œUnfortunately, some Azerbaijani newspapers commented their interviews words incorrectly and said that a strong quake is expected in the country. But that interview says clearly: â€œIt doesnâ€™t take a gigantic earthquakeâ€ i.e. â€œit doesnâ€™t mean that a strong quake will occurâ€. It caused alarm in population and discontent in the scientific societyâ€.

Alizadeh said that the authors of the article donâ€™t predict the quake. They just note that they discovered a large buildup of tension in Absheron peninsula on the basis of GPS monitoring: â€œThe scientist of the Institute of Geology recommend the local mass media, which spread incorrect reports, to investigate and analyze scientific events accurately and not to create an anxiety in the societyâ€.

Alizadeh said that no strong quake is expected in the country: â€œMay be the strong quake is not expected, but the tensions riseâ€.