The Zambezi River Authority (ZRA), which manages the Kariba Dam, has said a series of recent earth tremors in Mashonaland West Province do not pose a safety threat to the dam wall.
In a statement issued on Thursday, December 26, ZRA revealed that seven earth tremors have hit the region since December 1, 2024.
ZRA said that, in the interest of dam safety, they focus on the ground accelerations or vibrations generated by the tremors rather than their magnitudes.
The magnitude of an earthquake is a measure of the energy released at the source of the earthquake. Reads the statement from ZRA:
<blockquote>
The Zambezi River Authority (the Authority) wishes to confirm that it has noted the occurrence of earthquake incidents in the Kariba and surrounding areas.
The most recent earthquake incident with a magnitude M4.9 occurred at 05:39 hours CAT on 23rd December 2024.
Its epicentre was triangulated to approximately 19km on the SSE direction from Kariba Dam, at a depth of 10km.
This region is located within the Kariba reservoir, directly behind the Antelope Island in Zimbabwe.
Six other earthquake incidents occurred in the Kariba and surrounding areas, as well as the Hurungwe District in Zimbabwe on 7th December (M4.3), 8th December (M4.1), two incidents on 11th December (one M4.3 in Hurungwe area with insufficient details to locate the second one). Two other earthquake incidents occurred on 20th December (M4.4 and M4.7).
The epicentres of six of the seven earthquake incidents that have occurred since 1st December 2024 were located between 19km and 40km SSE of Kariba Town, either within the Kariba reservoir or Charara Safari Area.
The epicentre of the seventh earthquake incident (M4.3) which occurred on 11th December was located approximately 106km away from Kariba Dam in the Hurungwe District of Zimbabwe.
In view of the occurrence of the said earthquake incidents, the Authority wishes to advice its stakeholders and the public at large that earthquakes are primarily reservoir-induced-seismic (RIS) activities that are triggered by not only the presence, but also the water level fluctuations from the drawing down of the Kariba reservoir.
The earthquakes are not only limited to Kariba as they have been reported from the filling and subsequent operation of several other large dams and reservoirs worldwide.
The Authority further wishes to inform its stakeholders and the public at large that in the interest of dam safety, it does not focus on magnitudes of the earthquakes, but the ground accelerations or vibrations that are generated from the event.
The vibrations/shacking are further influenced by such characteristics as distance and depth of the epicentre.
Therefore, an earthquake with a smaller magnitude but with its epicentre closer to the dam wall could be more damaging than a large earthquake with an epicentre located far away from the dam wall.
Within this context, the earthquakes that have been experienced in Kariba, Siavonga and surrounding areas since the construction of the Kariba Dam are relatively small and have not generated large ground accelerations or vibrations as to cause concern regarding the safety of the dam wall.
As part of emergency preparedness and Standing Operating Procedures (SOP) requirements regarding the operation of Kariba Dam following the occurrence of unusual incidents, the Authority inspects the dam and analyses data from the various dam monitoring instruments each time that there is an occurrence of an earthquake incident including that which took place on 23rd December 2024.
The inspections and analyse is of data from the various monitoring instruments after the earthquakes referred to above did not reveal any unusual observations and the dam continued to exhibit normal behaviour that is consistent with prevailing loading conditions.
The Authority further wishes to reiterate its commitment to carrying out and delivering on its mandate in respect of ensuring that the long-term safety and reliability of the Kariba Dam is maintained for public safety and for the benefit of the Republics of Zambia and Zimbabwe and the region at large.
</blockquote>
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Pindula News

Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) says recent earthquakes near Kariba Dam are not a threat. Seven earthquakes hit the area since December 1, 2024. ZRA focuses on ground vibrations from earthquakes rather than their size. The Authority inspects the dam after each earthquake. The recent earthquakes did not cause any damage to the dam. ZRA's main goal is to keep the dam safe for everyone. The earthquakes are caused by the water level changes in the dam. ZRA is committed to ensuring the safety and reliability of Kariba Dam for the people of Zambia and Zimbabwe.

No Threat To Kariba Dam From Recent Earthquakes, Says ZRA

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 <a href="https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/earthquakes/quake-info/10045592/mag5quake-Dec-23-2024-Zimbabwe-Zambia.html">Volcano Discovery</a>, which cites data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the details of the earthquake are as follows:
<blockquote>
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.
</blockquote>
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: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.9 shook Kariba in Zimbabwe. It happened early in the morning on December 23, at a depth of 10 km. The quake was felt in Kariba and Harare, but it was not too strong. Earthquakes are common in Kariba because of the weight of water in the Kariba Dam, causing stress on the Earth's crust. This recent earthquake came just days after another quake. Even though these tremors are usually not too strong, they can still worry people living in the area.

Early Morning Earthquake Rattles Kariba

A magnitude 4.6 earthquake struck 26 km southeast of Kariba on Friday, December 20, at 2:15 AM Central Africa Time (CAT).
According to <a href="https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/earthquakes/quake-info/10039660/mag4quake-Dec-20-2024-Zimbabwe.html">Volcano Discovery</a>, the earthquake occurred 10 km below the surface, causing moderate shaking near the epicentre. Reads the report in part:
<blockquote>
The closest larger town where the quake might have been felt is Kariba, a town with 28,000 inhabitants in Zimbabwe, in 26 km (16 mi) distance northwest of the epicenter. People likely experienced light shaking there.
In the capital of Zimbabwe, Harare, 256 km (159 mi) away from the epicenter, the earthquake was probably felt as very weak shaking.
</blockquote>
The epicentre of an earthquake is the point on the Earth’s surface that is directly above the focus, where the earthquake originates.
It’s essentially the spot on the ground that experiences the most intense shaking and often the greatest damage during an earthquake.
Earth tremors are common in Kariba primarily due to reservoir-induced seismicity. This phenomenon occurs because of the immense weight of the water in the Kariba Dam.
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.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

A 4.6 magnitude earthquake hit near Kariba, Zimbabwe, causing moderate shaking. The closest town, Kariba, likely felt light shaking, while the capital Harare felt weak shaking. Earthquakes are common in Kariba due to the weight of the water in the dam. This weight stresses the Earth's crust, leading to tremors. These tremors are usually low to moderate and don't harm the dam. Kariba Dam filled in the 1960s, causing seismic activity in the area. The epicenter of an earthquake is the spot above where it starts.

Earthquake Near Kariba Causes Moderate Shaking

A minor earthquake hit the Lubimbi area in Binga on Sunday night and was felt by residents in Hwange.
The earthquake had a magnitude of 4.0 and no damages to property were recorded, reported <a href="https://www.chronicle.co.zw/earth-tremor-hits-hwange/">the Chronicle</a>.
Matabeleland North Province chief meteorological officer Austin Masikinye said the epicentre of the earthquake was Lubimbi in Binga District, close to Kamativi. He said:
<blockquote>
An earthquake was felt in Hwange and Binga on March 5, 2023, at 2309hrs local time. The epicentre is in Binga, Lubimbi area near Kamativi.
No reports of damage were received, however, more inquiries would be made to determine its intensity in the locality and to determine the exact areas it was felt.
</blockquote>
Residents in almost all Hwange town suburbs said they were shaken by underground movements on Sunday night.
Nolwandle Moyo from Ngumija and Prisca Mpofu, a resident of Cinderella township, about 10km from Ngumija, both said they felt the unusual movement from underground just after 10 PM.
Hwange Local Board spokesperson Dumisani Nsingo, who stays in Empumalanga, said:
<blockquote>
I suddenly remembered the unfortunate events in Turkey and became very scared but thank God the intensity was minimal.
</blockquote>
A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck South-Eastern Turkey and Northern Syria last month, killing 50 000 people, among them Ghanaian footballer Christian Atsu.
MSD head of forecasting, James Ngoma said earth tremors are common in the Kariba area. He said:
<blockquote>
Kariba is in a seismic tremor area, so now and again earthquakes are recorded. Those below 2.5 on the Richter scale may not be felt by humans but our machines regularly pick on those.
Earthquakes of between 2.5 and 4.5 on the scale are usually felt but we consider them to be minor and cannot cause damage. Anything above that is of concern.
</blockquote>
More: <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Minor Earthquake Hits Binga, Felt In Hwange

Zimbabwe experienced a shallow magnitude 4.2 earthquake around noon today, Monday 14 June 2021.
According to South Africa’s Council for Geoscience (CGS), a magnitude 4.2 earthquake was reported near Gweru, Midlands Province, at 1:53 pm local time at a shallow depth of 10 km.
Volcano Discovery reported that shallow earthquakes are felt more strongly than deeper ones as they are closer to the surface.
The exact magnitude, epicentre, and depth of the quake might be revised as seismologists review data and refine their calculations, or as other agencies issue their report.
The quake did not cause any significant damage but was probably felt by many people as light vibration in the area of the epicentre, preliminary seismic data shows.
Weak shaking might have been felt in Lalapanzi located 20 km from the epicentre.
Other towns or cities near the epicentre where the quake might have been felt as very weak shaking include Redcliffe located 57 km from the epicentre, Gweru 58 km away, Kwekwe 59 km away, Shurugwi 61 km away, Chivhu 65 km away, and Kadoma 104 km away.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/earthquake/news/132675/Magnitude-42-earthquake-strikes-near-Gweru-Midlands-Province-Zimbabwe.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Volcano Discovery</a></h4>

Shallow Magnitude 4.2 Earthquake Strikes Near Gweru

Areas around Lake Kariba experienced five tremors (slight earthquakes) in the first week of April, authorities have revealed.
According to the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) and Meteorological Services Department (MSD), the tremors were all only felt around Kariba with the epicentre around Kariba Dam. There were no reports of human injury or damage to buildings.
Two of the tremors occurred on 1 and 2 April and measured 4.0 on the Richter scale while the other three were minor ranging from 3.0 to 3.5 in magnitude.
A statement issued by ZRA, the authority responsible for managing the Zambezi River and Lake Kariba read in part:
<blockquote>Two earth tremors or earthquakes with a magnitude of 4.0 were recorded in the Zambezi Valley around Kariba Dam on the 1st and 2nd of April at 7.29 PM and 5.31 PM respectively.
These tremors are a common occurrence in the area around Kariba Dam. The tremors are referred to as load-induced tremors or reservoir-induced tremors in the case of the Kariba Dam and are a result of the earth crust’s response to water load or weight given the size of the dam.
Tremors of this magnitude do not affect the structural integrity of the dam. However, as a precaution, the Kariba Dam is inspected after each event and the instruments record analysed for any anomalous behaviour irrespective of the magnitude.
An analysis of the instrumentation data shows that the dam was not affected which was also corroborated by the visual inspections of the dam appurtenant structures which showed no structural damage to the dam and its related structures.</blockquote>
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.chronicle.co.zw/earth-quake-shakes-kariba-dam-chipinge/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Chronicle</a></h4>

Kariba Hit By 5 Earthquakes In One Week

ZBC News Online reports that earth tremors were experienced in Kariba on Wednesday afternoon.
This is the second time that such a phenomenon has occurred in the resort town.
Today’s tremor reportedly shook some buildings for about 10 seconds.

Kariba Town Hit By Earth Tremors

ZBC News claims that villagers in the Beacon area of the Mt Selinda Border Post which links Zimbabwe with Mozambique are living in fear as earth tremors are continuously active in the area of about 26 km radius.
The tremors are reportedly causing a lot of damage to buildings which are sustaining cracks. Most of the buildings are flimsy and as a result, they crack at the slightest vibration.
Some people have now pitched tents fearing that roofs might curve in.
The tremors are being experienced on a daily basis especially during the wee hours of the morning when folks are fast asleep as well as during mid-day.
An earth tremor rocked the country on the 21ts of December 2018 and its epicentr was established to have been at 60km South East of Chipinge. The tremor meaured 5,5 on the Ritcher Scale.
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<h3>More: <a href="http://www.zbc.co.zw/continuous-tremors-frighten-villagers-in-mt-selinda/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">ZBC News</a></h3>

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