Fatshimetrie, the leading magazine for news in the field of geophysics and astronomy, recently reported a crucial piece of information regarding seismic activity in Egypt. On April 14, 2023, the country’s National Institute for Astronomy and Geophysics recorded an earthquake with a magnitude of 4.25, located 12 kilometers northeast of Sharm El-Sheikh, at a depth of 8.5 kilometers.
Taha Rabah, director of the institute, confirmed that this earthquake, felt by the residents of Sharm El-Sheikh, occurred 12 kilometers northeast of the city and reached an intensity of 4.25 on the Richter scale. In exclusive statements to Fatshimetrie, Rabah explained that the earthquake was due to the movement of the Earth’s crust, specifying that its magnitude of 4.25 places it in the category of moderate earthquakes.
Regarding possible links between this earthquake and the successive Israeli strikes on the Palestinian territories, as well as the explosions in Lebanon, Rabah affirmed that these events had no impact on Egypt, given its distance from the seismic zone.
This is not the first time that Egypt has been hit by earthquakes. Indeed, the country has recently been the scene of several earthquakes. In April 2023, another earthquake with a magnitude of 4.2 struck the cities of Hurghada and Suez, followed by a magnitude 3.8 earthquake in Suez on February 24, 2023. In addition, a magnitude 4.7 earthquake shook Jabal Al-Zeit in the Gulf of Suez on December 27, 2022.
Continuing to closely monitor seismic activity, the national seismic network recorded a magnitude 4.57 earthquake 27 kilometers north of Hurghada, centered on the seismically active Shadwan Island. This event occurred 54 years after the Sharm El-Sheikh earthquake that hit the same area with a magnitude of 6.6.
In February 2023, the National Seismic Network reported an earthquake 27 kilometers north of Suez, while in December 2022, a 5.0 magnitude earthquake was recorded 26 kilometers southwest of Al-Tor in South Sinai Governorate, without causing any casualties according to a statement from the National Institute for Astronomy and Geophysics Research.
These events highlight the importance of closely monitoring seismic activity in the region and implementing risk prevention and mitigation measures to protect local populations. The data collected by research institutes helps to better understand these natural phenomena and ensure the safety of residents in the face of these geological hazards.