Iraqi meteorology authority says Kirkuk earthquakes within natural seismic activity

KIRKUK, Iraq — Iraq's General Authority for Meteorology and Seismic Monitoring said earthquake activity recorded in Kirkuk falls within the region's natural seismic behavior. Ali Abdulhali, head of the authority's Seismic Monitoring Unit, said the city, located on the Zagros earthquake belt, regularly experiences light to moderate tremors. Abdulhali reported that two tremors were recorded in eastern Kirkuk on Thursday, roughly 40 minutes apart. One measured magnitude 3.7 on the Richter scale at a depth of 10 kilometers, about 30 kilometers east of the city. Between July 21 and 27, 16 tremors ranging from magnitude 1.7 to 3.9 were detected across Iraq, most concentrated in northern Iraq and along the Iraq-Iran border. The official attributed Kirkuk's continuous seismic activity to its proximity to mountainous terrain, fault lines and the area's geological structure. He noted there are no signs of a destructive earthquake and reminded the public that no scientific method exists to predict the time, location and magnitude of earthquakes in advance. Abdulhali urged residents to rely on statements issued by official bodies rather than unverified information.