Lebanon’s tremors

The recent earth tremors felt in Lebanon served as a timely reminder of the volatility of the land mass on which Lebanon rests. The good news is that, unnerving though it is to experience an earthquake — even minor tremors such as those that shook Lebanon in February — they are a reassuring sign that the fault systems beneath are feet are moving as they should. Indeed, a prolonged absence of seismic activity in an earthquake zone is far more troubling, as it suggests that a fault is jammed. Pressure builds up and is eventually released in one convulsive and destructive shock. Lebanon has a long history of major earthquakes, which have destroyed Beirut at least twice and helped shape Lebanon’s current coastline. The country lies at the nexus of three continental plates: the African, the Arabian and the Eurasian. The African plate is heading south-west and the Arabian plate