Series of Earthquakes Not a Sign of More Devastating Disaster to Come – Expert

KUALA LUMPUR: Claims that the series of earthquakes that have occurred are a sign of an even more devastating disaster cannot be scientifically verified, said Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Earthquake Engineering Professor, Prof Azlan Adnan.

He said such perceptions often arise when a major earthquake occurs and is followed by several other earthquakes in different locations, thus triggering concern among the public.

However, according to him, current science is still unable to predict earthquake occurrences like weather forecasting.

“Many claim that a major earthquake is a sign that a more devastating disaster will occur. When we see one major earthquake occurring and then several other earthquakes occurring in different locations, we tend to think, is this a sign that something bigger is going to happen?

“But the scientific answer is that we cannot make such a conclusion. Earthquakes cannot be predicted like the weather,” he told Astro AWANI.

He was commenting on the concerns that have arisen following the series of earthquakes that have occurred in several regions of Indonesia including Flores, Sumatra and Sulawesi recently.

Azlan explained that aftershocks that occur after a major earthquake are a common phenomenon and are expected to happen in the process of tectonic energy release.

He said, the occurrence of aftershocks does not necessarily mean that another larger earthquake will occur in the near future.

According to him, each earthquake event must be assessed separately based on factors such as location, depth, seismic mechanism and tectonic relationships before any conclusions are made regarding the links between these events.

Meanwhile, he said Malaysians do not need to panic over the current developments in Indonesia, but must always be aware of the risks of natural disasters and understand the appropriate safety measures.

Commenting on the country’s level of preparedness, Azlan opined that Malaysia has taken various steps to face earthquake risks, but there is still room for improvement.

“Malaysia has made various efforts to face earthquakes, but we can still make more improvements. We have agencies such as MetMalaysia, the Department of Mineral and Geoscience, NADMA, JKR, universities and various experts.

“However, the problem is that earthquakes are still considered a rare disaster in Malaysia,” he said.

He said among the measures that can be improved include more comprehensive earthquake risk assessments, updating earthquake hazard maps as well as inspections of buildings and critical infrastructure.

According to him, the aspect of public preparedness also needs to be given attention through continuous education on the actions to be taken in the event of an earthquake.

He stressed, although humans cannot prevent earthquakes from occurring, their impact can be reduced through good planning, continuous monitoring and a high level of preparedness.

Astro Awani