Senior geologist cites potential quake risk
The risk of earthquakes may grow in the Caucasus region over the next two years, a senior Azerbaijani geologist says.
``A strong earthquake is not expected in Azerbaijan, but seismic activity is growing,`` Geology Institute Director Akif Alizadeh said last Friday at a press conference.
Research conducted by the institute`s specialists jointly with US scholars shows that deformation of the earth`s crust has been observed in the Kur River lowlands, Alizadeh said.
He said increased energy accumulation in the soil has been reported near the capital Baku, which could lead to earthquakes in the coming years.
Prof. Fakhraddin Gadirov of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences warned that a 6.4 magnitude quake may hit Baku and the entire Absheron Peninsula, but added that this was just ``a possibility``.
Gadirov said accumulation of energy could pose a threat to oil structures.
``For instance, there could be a fracture in the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline, and a major disaster might occur,`` he added.
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