US embassy cable - 04AMMAN1080

UNCLAS AMMAN 001080 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/RA LAWSON, OES/PCI PAYNE 
STATE PASS USAID/OFDA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV, AMGT, EAID, JO 
SUBJECT:  QUAKE SHAKES AMMAN; NO DAMAGE REPORTED 
 
Ref:  03 Amman 6522 
 
1. At 1015 local, on Wednesday, February 11, a 4.9 
magnitude earthquake surprised many of Jordan's inhabitants 
and prompted many to vacate buildings.  The Jordan 
Seismological Observatory of the Natural Resources 
Authority and the Public Security Directorate told us that 
there has been no damage reported in Amman or elsewhere in 
the Kingdom.  No injuries have been attributed to the 
earthquake. 
 
2. The epicenter of the quake, which lasted for several 
seconds, was at the northeast edge of the Dead Sea, partly 
explaining why Amman, only 35 miles (or a half hour's 
drive) from the location, felt it more than such occasional 
events of similar magnitude often based further south in 
Wadi Araba.  The Seismological Observatory confirmed that 
there were seven aftershocks, all registering below 2.0 on 
the Richter scale.  While Jordanian seismologists believe 
there will be additional small aftershocks, they were quick 
to point out that this series of events represents "normal 
activity" for the Rift Valley. 
 
3. The quake, registered at 31.679 degrees North and 35.585 
degrees East, was at a depth of 20.9 kilometers, according 
to the Seismological Observatory.  Local seismologists 
corroborated their findings with their Israeli counterparts 
at the Geophysical Institute of Israel, something they do 
routinely in such instances.  The U.S. Geological Survey, 
in information posted on its website, registered the 
earthquake at 5.2 magnitude, with a depth of 15 kilometers 
and location of 31.631 degrees North, 35.469 degrees East. 
 
4. In response to the event, the Jordanian government 
closed public schools for the remainder of the day, but 
other commercial and government activity continues as 
normal.  We are hearing that some potentially vulnerable 
high-rise buildings are being evacuated.  Regional Science 
Officer's contacts within the Palestinian Authority in Gaza 
told us that their government offices were ordered closed 
for the rest of the day, as a precaution against additional 
aftershocks. 
 
5. Post did not evacuate the chancery.  Personnel inspected 
embassy facilities, residences and the American Community 
School for damage, but found none.  The telephone tree was 
activated to inform members of the official community that 
the event was an earthquake and dispel rumors.  NEA Admin 
counselors, meeting at one of Jordan's Dead Sea hotels, 
were evacuated until such time as hotel management 
conducted a building assessment and declared it safe to 
return inside. 
 
6. COMMENT:  The Rift Valley is well known to have 
significant seismic activity, some of which reaches 
magnitudes high enough to rattle citizens of the region. 
Only last month, Jordan recorded another earthquake of 
about 4.7 magnitude at the southern end of the Dead Sea, 
but that was not felt in Amman.  Such frequent activity 
underscores the need for appropriate building codes to 
reduce earthquake losses, an objective of one of our Middle 
East Regional Cooperation projects between Israel and 
Jordan.  The recent UNESCO/USGS regional conference on 
Reducing Earthquake Losses in the Eastern Mediterranean 
Region, hosted in Aqaba, could not have been more timely. 
Reftel reports on earthquake risk in Jordan generally. 
 
Gnehm