The territory of BiH is one of the most seismically active parts of the Balkan region, said Rusmir Gorusanin, senior associate at the Center for Seismology in the Federal Hydrometeorological Institute of BiH.
The most vulnerable areas in BiH, when it comes to seismic activity, according to this expert, are the southern and north-eastern BiH (with the area around Banja Luka).
“When it comes to the most dangerous faults in the territory of BiH, they are in Bugojno (from Donji Vakuf to Bosanska Krupa), South Herzegovina (extending from Dubrovnik to Metkovic, and includes part of the operation territory of BiH) and Banja Luka fault which includes surrounding area of Banja Luka,” explained Gorusanin.
The strongest earthquake that hit BiH so far is Banja Luka earthquake, which occurred at the 27th of October 1969, in the morning. This strongest earthquake was preceded by a series of slightly lower intensity earthquakes, which took place a day earlier. The strength was 6.3 degrees Richter, with the intensity of VIII degrees MCS. Hypocenter was at a depth of about 20 kilometers below the city. 15 people was killed and Banja Luka suffered enormous destruction.
Gorusanin said that experts in FBiH do not have too much help from the Government in their work, particularly when it comes to the procurement of equipment. They have mostly received the equipment and software from the few donations, the first from NATO project (for the Western Balkans). The Government of the Slovak Republic also donated equipment as seismographs and appropriate software, as well as support (training) for the software, a few years ago.
Levels of threat to bigger BiH cities, according to the intensity of earthquakes:
Sarajevo – VII degrees MCS (the Mercalli–Cancani–Sieberg scale)
Tuzla – VII degrees MCS
Zenica – VII degrees MCS
Bihac – VI degrees MCS
Mostar – VII degrees MCS
Banja Luka – VIII degrees MCS.
Roman numbers indicate the expected intensity at MCS scale for the return period of 100 years.
(Source: nap.ba)
