Do you believe that earthquakes in Lebanon occur during the day and at specific times while largely subsiding at night?
It may sound strange because earthquakes do not distinguish between day and night. However, there is a story behind this peculiarity in Lebanon. In a study conducted by the National Geophysical Center in Bhanes, mapping seismic activity recorded between 2004 and 2021, it was found that the seismic activity in the Srifa region, which experienced a strong earthquake in 2008, is a natural phenomenon occurring day and night. In other areas, such as the Bekaa Valley, where quarries are scattered, it was observed that earthquakes are concentrated during the day within working hours, from 8 am to 7 pm. Caretaker Minister of Environment Nasser Yassin also published an analysis of these recordings conducted by specialist Abdallah Chehadeh, who highlighted the concentration of earthquakes between 2 pm and 4 pm. Earthquakes also decrease during the New Year period. In her lecture at Cornell University, Judith Hubbard analyzed that quarrying activities influence earthquakes in Western Bekaa, Qaa al-Rim, and Ain Dara. She pointed out the paradoxical fact that earthquakes significantly decrease or completely stop in the Bekaa Valley during the New Year period when the weather is generally unfavorable, which is illogical. What prompts further consideration is that several quarries in Lebanon are located on seismic faults. Detonations, especially if solid and deep underground, can pose a risk of triggering seismic activity along the fault. These concerns have resurfaced following the recent controversy over the source of what the residents of Qaa al-Rim felt last Saturday, whether it was an earthquake or an explosion. The Bhanes Center continues to register it as a natural earthquake, and ongoing investigations have not yet provided conclusive evidence to attribute it to human activity.