THE PROBABILITY OF STRONG EARTHQUAKES IS SMALL
Nelly Danielyan
"Radiolur"
07.12.2009 17:22
Twenty-one years after the Spitak earthquake, the issue of prediction
and prevention of disaster still remains urgent.
"The earthquake is not dangerous by itself. The danger is measured by
seismic resistance, population density and the level of preparedness,"
said Alvaro Abtonyan, Head of the National Survey for Seismic
Protection. Neither of the indices is sufficient in Armenia.
The worn out housing stock of the capital, mostly inherited from
Soviet times, and the changes made by residents do not contribute to
the high level of seismic stability.
As for the newly constructed buildings, those are more stable,
according to Alvaro Antonyan’s assessment. However, the strength
of soil is suspicious. All examinations are carried out by private
companies, while the only specialized structure – the NSSP – does
not participate in the process.
Nevertheless, despite certain risks, the seismic situation in our
country is stable, the probability of strong earthquakes is small.