By Gagani Weerakoon
With an increased number of earthquakes occurring in the Indian Ocean and Geological Department observing a possibility of a new earth plate being created 1,000km south of Sri Lanka, geologists warn of possible adverse natural disasters occurring in the country.
Senior Geologist Prof. Kapila Dahanayake of Department of Geology, University of Peradeniya said, irrespective of the fact that some continue to argue about the development stage of the earth plate, laymen should be aware that there is a serious threat of Sri Lanka experiencing worst kind of earthquakes at any given time.
He also said it is not only earthquakes that could occur, but also there is a possibility of major cyclones, landslides and floods or tsunamis.

“Even recently, there was an earthquake that marked 6.0 in the Richter scale at very close proximity to Sri Lanka. We did not feel anything from these recent quakes as these took place in the sea. But, with the movements of earth plates near the country, we could face a ground quake at any given time,” he said.
Prof. Dahanayake said the danger of an earthquake is that it is neither predictable nor preventable.
“However, what you can do is to monitor recent earthquakes and the movement of earth plates. If you monitor them closely, at least you can figure out where the next quake is going to occur. An earthquake occurs when two earth plates move away from each other, when one moves towards another or when one earth plate goes underneath another,” he explained.

He noted that nearly 2,000 people were killed in an earthquake that occurred some 400 years ago near Colombo Fort.
“Given this fact, one can imagine what sort of implications it would have if there was another major earthquake near the island. Any earthquake that marks above 6.0 in the Richter scale is considered a major quake,” he said.
He said people should not ignore to consult a geologist when constructing buildings given that there are only less than five buildings in Colombo that would withstand an earthquake.

“Buildings constructed on special geological grounds will not feel earth tremors. For instance, those built on granite grounds will not have adverse effects. Only a geologist can identify these grounds,” he said while reiterating that citizens should not ignore the fact that they could be victimised at any time.