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Robin Muchetu, Senior Reporter
VARIOUS parts of the country yesterday experienced an earthquake of a magnitude of 5,5 on the Richter scale which is very high according to weather experts.
The head of Meteorological Services Department (MSD), Mr Tich Zinyemba, confirmed the rare occurrence which took place yesterday morning and a report from the MSD Seismology Section in Bulawayo explained the phenomenon.
“We have recorded an earthquake which occurred in Manicaland on the border between Mozambique and Zimbabwe. The earthquake was felt by some people in areas like Chipinge, Masvingo, Harare and Mutare,” said Mr Kwangwari Marimira from the Seismology Section.
Mr Marimira said the earthquake which shook the South Eastern part of Zimbabwe occurred at 5.37am Co-ordinated Universal Time which is 7.37am in the local Zimbabwean time. He said on the Richter scale, the magnitude was 5,5.
“The magnitude and epicentre of the earthquake was determined to be about magnitude 5,5 and the epicentre is 53 kilometres South, South East of Chipinge, Zimbabwe,” he said.
The Richter Magnitude Scale is a scale of numbers from zero to nine which is used to determine the size of earthquakes, with zero to one being those vibrations that cannot be felt and nine being very destructive to human life, nature and infrastructure.
Furthermore, the MSD said most earthquakes that occur in this region are due to natural plate tectonics.
Plate tectonics is a theory that suggests that the earth’s shell is made up of several plates that are in motion and can slip past one another causing an earthquake.
“Manicaland is a seismically active region, evidenced by the many moderate to large earthquakes that occur each year,” said Mr Marimira.
Online Reporter