Early Morning Earthquake Rattles Kariba

A moderate magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck approximately 17 km South-Southeast of Kariba, in Mashonaland West Province, early on Monday morning. The quake occurred at a depth of 10 km at 05:39 AM (Harare Time) on December 23.

According to a report by Volcano Discovery, which cites data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the details of the earthquake are as follows:

The closest larger town where the quake might have been felt is Kariba, a town with 28,000 inhabitants in Zimbabwe, in 17.5 km (11 mi) distance northwest of the epicentre. People likely experienced light shaking there. In the capital of Zimbabwe, Harare, 265 km (165 mi) away from the epicentre, the earthquake was probably felt as very weak shaking.

The earthquake occurred just three days after a magnitude 4.6 quake struck 26 km southeast of the resort town.

Earthquakes are common in Kariba, primarily due to a phenomenon known as reservoir-induced seismicity.
This occurs because the immense weight of the water in the Kariba Dam exerts pressure on the local geological structures.

When the dam was filled in the 1960s, it began to induce seismic activity in the region. The water load causes stress on the Earth’s crust, leading to frequent tremors.

These tremors are generally of low to moderate magnitude and have not been known to affect the dam’s structural integrity. However, they can still cause alarm among local residents.

More: Pindula News