Rise in recorded earthquakes not a natural increase, geology professor says

Professor of geology and environment Ahmad Malabeh has stated that the noticeable rise in the number of recorded earthquakes in recent years does not necessarily indicate a natural increase in seismic activity, explaining that the overall earthquake rate remains within the normal range when measured over several decades.

Speaking in an interview with Al Arabiya FM, Malabeh said that determining whether there is an actual increase in earthquake numbers requires studying statistics over many decades, rather than comparing year to year. He noted that the annual earthquake rate from 1900 to the present has stayed within a natural range.

He explained that the higher number of recorded earthquakes is due to three main factors, foremost among them the advancement and increased accuracy of monitoring equipment, which now allows for the detection of tremors that previously went unrecorded. Additionally, the widespread reach of media and social networks enables earthquake news to reach people within seconds of an event.

Malabeh added that population growth also contributes to the rapid spread of earthquake reports, emphasizing that this does not necessarily mean there is an actual increase in seismic activity.

He stressed the importance of distinguishing between tremors and earthquakes based on their strength, noting that many tremors are weak and go unnoticed by people, but are still detected by monitoring devices. Stronger earthquakes are recorded at higher levels on the seismic scale.

Malabeh explained that tremors below magnitude 4 are often not felt by people, while earthquakes of around magnitude 4.5 or higher are more noticeable. Extremely strong earthquakes require much higher magnitudes, sometimes reaching 7 or more, which in some cases can trigger tsunamis.

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The geology and environment professor emphasized that recording hundreds or thousands of tremors does not necessarily mean there is an increase in major, destructive earthquakes. He stressed that seismic activity should be assessed using long-term data, not isolated annual figures.