The Sabah Al-Ahmad Center for Environmental Training at the Kuwait Environment Protection Society, in cooperation with the Kuwait Society for Earth Sciences, organized the panel discussion (Turkey Earthquake and its repercussions on the State of Kuwait). It was presented by Dr. Elham Al-Lanqawi, Associate Professor of Geology at the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training, specializing in optics and geochemistry of sedimentary rocks and the environment; Dr. Muhammad Hussein Naqi, Assistant Professor of Geology at Kuwait University, specializing in structural geology and a member of the Kuwait Society for Earth Sciences; and Dr. Abdullah Al-Anzi, Supervisor of the Kuwait National Seismic Network (KNSN) at the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, Director of the Decision Support Program for Crisis Management, and a member of the Kuwait Society for Earth Sciences.
The association confirmed that “the seminar discussed three main themes: the history of earthquakes in Kuwait, presenting their causes based on a study of research station data, the extent to which the State of Kuwait is affected by regional earthquakes, and a case study of the Türkiye earthquake and the reasons behind it.”
For her part, Dr. Elham Al-Lanqawi began by explaining the distribution of earthquake epicenters around the world, indicating that the most affected areas are those located within the epicenter of the earthquake. She emphasized that it is impossible to determine the time of the earthquake, the location of the epicenter, and the intensity of the earthquake. She pointed out that “no matter how advanced science is, it is not possible to determine a specific date for the occurrence of earthquakes, but there are some factors that help in predicting earthquakes, such as the relative calm before the earthquake, ornamental fish jumping out of tanks, the flight of wild animals from locations near the epicenter of the earthquake, the flight of marine animals from locations near the epicenter of the earthquake, and there are some cases that have observed headaches in some people in areas where earthquakes occur.”.
Dr. Al-Lanqawi added, “Kuwait was previously affected in November 2017 by the earthquake that struck Iraq, Saudi Arabia and parts of Iran with a magnitude of 7.2 on the Richter scale, and Kuwait can be affected by the movement of the Arabian Peninsula Plate towards the northeast, which can lead to pressure on the plates adjacent to it.”.
For his part, Dr. Abdullah Al-Anzi explained that “one of the objectives of this workshop is to clarify the scientific facts in seismology and raise awareness about the causes of the earthquake in Turkey, while dispelling rumors and misinformation.” He added, “Earthquakes are a natural phenomenon that cannot be reduced or prevented, but their negative effects and risks can be mitigated. Earthquakes themselves do not kill or cause destruction, but buildings do. Therefore, we recommend focusing on infrastructure and ensuring its resilience to earthquakes, monitoring construction to comply with the requirements set by state institutions, and adhering to the international seismic code.” He also recommended the existence of an emergency plan for responding to earthquakes.
Dr. Al-Anzi explained, “We shouldn’t focus on predictions and forecasts, despite their importance. The focus should be on buildings and preparing them to withstand ground movement and earthquakes. It’s essential today to have a suitable building code, even if the damage to residential buildings is negligible.” He pointed out that the magnitude of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, 7.8 on the Richter scale, is very large, and the energy it releases causes human losses due to ground movement and building collapses.
Dr. Al-Anzi stated, “There are two sources of earthquakes affecting the State of Kuwait. One is a series of earthquakes in the southern regions of Al-Manaqish and Umm Qadeer, and the northern regions of Al-Rawdatain and Al-Sabriya. The other originates from the Zagros Mountains as a result of tectonic activity. From the perspective of seismologists, the impact of earthquakes in Kuwait is very minor, and they are felt only in coastal areas for two reasons: firstly, these areas have tall buildings, and the buildings feel the shaking because they are not designed to withstand the earthquake; and secondly, the nature of the coastal clay soil in Kuwait amplifies the sensation of earthquakes. Even the largest earthquake, which struck the Burgan area with a magnitude of 5 on the Richter scale, did not have a devastating impact, and its effect was very limited in the Sabah Al-Ahmad area.”.
In the same context, Dr. Muhammad Naqi presented a scientific explanation of the Anatolian Fault and the main cause of the earthquake in Turkey, answering many related questions. He stated that "the Republic of Turkey lies on the Anatolian subplate, bordered to the south by the Arabian Plate and to the north by the Eurasian Plate," emphasizing that "it has been in a state of continuous and constant movement for approximately 10 million years. The reason behind this movement is the collision of the Arabian Plate to the south and the Eurasian Plate to the north. The Arabian Plate moves northward and northeastward at a rate of approximately 2 cm per year, and the plate above the Anatolian (Eurasian) Plate moves, causing pressure on it and resulting in its westward movement.".
Dr. Al-Naqi noted, “The Anatolian Plate is bordered to the north by a very large fault, 1500 km long, extending from eastern Turkey to the Aegean Sea (a fault that moves parallel to itself). It is similar to the famous California Fault (San Andreas Fault) and forms a seismically active area that has experienced a large number of earthquakes since 1939. Since then, earthquakes have continued to occur in succession along the fault line. Based on this theory, scientists expect the next earthquake to be eastward, towards the Sea of Marmara, south of Istanbul, which has a population of approximately 15 million.”.
Dr. Al-Naqi continued his discussion on the importance of exercising caution and care when selecting tourist and real estate investment areas in Turkey, based on the latest earthquake data and ensuring that buildings comply with Turkey's seismic building code. He stated that "predicting earthquakes is impossible with current scientific capabilities. Earthquakes are a natural phenomenon resulting from the movement of tectonic plates along fault lines." He added, "Earthquakes do not only occur at tectonic plate boundaries; some are natural, while others are man-made, such as those caused by dam construction and the associated pressure.".
