The Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) has assuaged concerns over earth tremors experienced in the Federal Capital Territory, urging residents to be calm.
Professor Olusegun Ige, Director-General of NGSA revealed this in a press statement on Wednesday, stating that NGSA closely monitored the tremors and determined them to be of low magnitude, posing no imminent threat to the environment.
According to the statement: The Monitoring Station (NGSA-5) at Katampe has been detecting several notable ground movements with substantial moment magnitudes (Mw) over the past five days, commencing from September 13, 2024, up to the present.
A solitary mild event was registered on September 13th. Six such events occurred on the 14th of September, followed by over 21 events on the 15th with heightened intensities. More than twenty events were documented on the 16th of September. The intensity and frequency of the tremors seem to have escalated from the 13th to the 16th of September.
A few minor events have been recorded today, on the 17th of September.
Preliminary analysis of the waveforms indicated that the origins of the ground movements are less than 5 km away from the monitoring station.
The NGSA team also conducted on-site assessments in the affected areas. Based on residents’ accounts, the team’s observations, and earlier interpretations of airborne geophysical data in the region and neighboring areas, the following conclusions were drawn:
* The tremors stem from accumulated stress along identified faults and the subsequent release of seismic energy, which may have propagated through associated fractures to areas within the FCT where the tremors were felt.
* Multiple epicenters are linked to the recent tremor. The majority of epicenters are situated northeast of the NGSA-5 Seismic Station around the Mpape region, with a few located southwest of the Station near the Katampe area.
* The tremors’ intensities range from weak to light, falling between III – IV on the Modified Mercalli Scale, and present a minimal threat.
* Residents of Mpape, Katampe, Maitama, and other affected areas are advised to remain calm as the tremors are generally classified as mild. The Agency is vigilantly monitoring the situation and will provide updates if necessary.
* The public should also be informed that NGSA Seismic Stations are under real-time surveillance to ensure timely alerts regarding any significant events.
