Hani Zahran, head of the National Earthquakes and Volcanoes Center, has said that the recently published study on volcanic activity in the north -west of the Kingdom makes no suggestion that inhabitants of the region should be evacuated, contrary to the reports in some sections of the media. The study, Zahran said, was carried out by four Saudi and five US scientists from their respective Geological Survey groups, along with two other specialists from King Abdul Aziz University and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). “The study does not rule out new seismic activity in the region over the next few years, but the local population is under no threat currently,” Zahran said. “Present indicators are reassuring, and there are no ground swellings, no changes in temperature gauges, radon gas or carbon dioxide, or cracks in land surfaces.” The Civil Defense, Zahran said, was closely monitoring the situation by tracking any changes in tremor wave forms which are recorded around the clock and measuring gas emissions and other indicators of change. The study, which was published online by the specialist journal Nature Geoscience and reported widely in the media on Sunday, concluded that the 30,000 minor quakes which occurred between April and June 2009 were the result of volcanic activity. Damage to buildings in nearby settlements prompted the evacuation of 40,000 people from the region, many of whom spent several months away before authorities deemed it safe enough for them to return.
