Yacoub Al-Qasasfeh, an instructor in the Department of Humanities within the Faculty of Arts at Bethlehem University, has published a new research paper titled “Geo-Historical Analysis of Earthquakes in Palestine: Spatial Distribution and Risk Exploration to Enhance Contribution to Decision-Making,” in the Arab American University Journal of Research.
The study reviews earthquakes in Palestine from 760 BCE to 2023 CE to better understand the region’s seismic risks and support informed decision-making. It traces tectonic plate movements over time and examines how they shaped Palestine’s geology and landscape. By analyzing historical records and scientific studies, the research documents earthquake patterns and calculates recurrence intervals.
Using a descriptive, historical, and analytical methodology based on relevant reports and research, the study tracked medium, strong, and violent seismic movements over an extended historical period to estimate recurrence rates for each type. To anticipate future earthquake scenarios in the region, it identified the most significant faults, their movement activity, and annual displacement rates.
The findings show that the Dead Sea Basin and northern Palestine are especially prone to strong earthquakes and are close to the recurrence intervals for violent seismic activity. It concluded that seismic recurrence periods in Palestine increase as the earthquake’s magnitude increases and vice versa. Earthquakes with magnitudes over 6 on the Richter scale tend to recur approximately every 39 years. The study recommends enhancing inter-institutional cooperation, increasing early awareness of potential risks, and developing a national plan to mitigate the consequences of major earthquakes should they occur.
Bethlehem University congratulates Mr. Al-Qasasfeh on this significant academic achievement, which not only contributes to scientific understanding of Palestine’s seismic history but also supports efforts to enhance safety and informed decision-making in the face of natural hazards.
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