On Earthquakes in Dubai

Last week Nepal was struck by one of the worst earthquakes ever recorded in history. The country registered the most powerful quake on its territory for the last 80 years. Its magnitude was estimated at 7.8, making it 22 times stronger than the 2010 devastating earthquake in Haiti. Such a terrible event can shake not only an entire nation, but the whole world as well. Residents of big metropolitan cities all over the globe are now worrying whether a similar tragedy can occur in their region. Similar questions can be asked about Dubai.

Earthquakes in the UAE

The United Arab Emirates is situated on the edge of the Arabian Tectonic Plate, according to the U.S. National Earthquake Information Centre. It is estimated that every year this same plate is pushing against the Eurasian plate by about 3 cm. The place where the two plates meet is in Iran. As a result, most earthquakes that are felt in the UAE are triggered namely in that region.

Nevertheless, scientists believe that the United Arab Emirates is not among the most earthquake-vulnerable countries. There are no large seismic sources on UAE’s territory. In addition, there were no major quake damages in the recent history of the country.

This, however, does not mean that there were no earthquakes in the UAE. Still, over the years, the UAE has witnessed just a few major quakes. In the more recent history of the country, a particularly strong earthquake was registered in Masafi, back in March 2002. Its power had a magnitude of 5.1 on the Richter scale.

The Gulf region as a whole has also experienced terrifying quakes. In November 1945, a quake with a magnitude of 8 struck the coast of Pakistan, creating a tsunami that hit Oman. The number of casualties reached over 4,000 people.

Earthquakes in Dubai

Dubai is among the least threatened zones in the UAE. It is estimated that the maximum magnitude that could ever be registered in Dubai is 4.3 on the Richter scale.

That is more than a good news, since the city is able to survive earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.9. That includes the highest skyscrapers in Dubai and even Burj Khalifa. The city’s new earthquake code, which was introduced a couple of years ago, raised building standards. That increased their ability to withstand quakes of 5.2 to 5.9.

Still…

Of course, there will always be skepticism. For instance, a report by Munich Re published back in 2010, stated that the UAE ranks high on its earthquake scale. However, the study compared the country’s vulnerability to quakes not with other countries or regions in the world, but with the 1980s UAE. Over the past three decades, the country’s city landscape has greatly evolved welcoming mega structures and high-rises to its skylines. Logically, that also increases the risk of earthquake damages.

The bottom line, however, is that nature is unpredictable. The one sure thing about earthquakes is that they cannot be predicted as well.