Structural Geologist and Metallurgist, Dr. Prince Ofori Amponsah has advised Ghanaians to prepare for an earthquake in the coming days.
According to him, the current trend of earth tremors in Ghana is worrying, and the recurrence of such a disaster is only an indication of a future earthquake.
This comes after parts of Accra experienced earth tremors on December 12, between the hours of 11: 00 am and 12 noon.
According to the Android Earthquake Alert System, which captured the tremor, it is estimated to have had a magnitude of 4.0, with its epicenter in the western part of Accra, 10 km from Gbawe.
The impact was felt by residents around Kasoa, Gbawe, McCarthy Hill, Legon, Dansoman, and other parts of Accra.
Speaking to UniversNews, Dr. Amponsah explained that earth tremors are known as precursors, which are able to inform seismologists of an imminent earthquake ahead of time.
Looking at Accra, it’s situated on a fault zone, hence it’s prone to earthquakes due to the energies that are released within that zone, and if things aren’t done right, it could have several implications on the citizenry, he said.
He added that “while humans can help to mitigate the effects of earthquakes, earthquakes are still natural disasters that cannot be avoided.”
He advised the government to conduct an earthquake preparedness exercise with the Ghana Geological Survey Authority and NADMO in order to mitigate the nation’s damage from the disaster by building houses to seismic codes and raising awareness about how individuals can protect themselves during earthquakes.
EARTHQUAKES AND TREMORS IN GHANA
Ghana has records of damaging earthquakes dating as far back as 1636. The last three major ones occurred in 1862, 1906 and 1939.
The most destructive earthquake that struck the then Gold Coast and caused a lot of damage and loss of life and property was the 22nd June 1939 earthquake.
From 1939 to 2022, there have been series of earth tremors. Below are the most recent tremors and their respective magnitudes:
- 2018 – In December 2018, magnitude 2.6 earth tremor hit Accra.
- 2019 – Around January 2019, another magnitude 2.6 tremor hit Accra
- 2020- In 2020, another earth tremor with magnitude 4.2 hit some areas for Accra.
- 2022 – In 2022, another magnitude 4.0 earth tremor hit the Western parts of Accra from the same epicenter.
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Story By: Adwubi Wiafe Akenteng | univers.ug.edu.gh
