Saturday May 13, a series of earthquakes, described as mysterious, occurred on the Danish island of Bornholm, located in the Baltic Sea, and inhabited by 40,000 people.
Seismologists have speculated that it came from controlled explosions in Poland, more than 140 kilometers to the south, and “sound pressure waves from an unknown source”.
The Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEOS), an official body that monitors the subsoil, came out to say that the tremors “were not caused by earthquakes, but by pressure waves from a event in the atmosphere”, but that they came from “an unknown source”.
Geos said: He had measured seismic tremors of 2.3 on the Richter scale and received more than 60 reports from citizens of Bornholm.
Distinguish between earthquakes and eruptions
Dr. Najeeb Abu Karaki, professor of geophysics and seismology at the University of Jordan, said in a statement to “Sky News Arabia”:
In the absence of records, scientists may not be able to provide a fully reliable explanation. What they call sound pressure waves are probably the sounds of explosions that can be produced and sometimes recorded at seismic stations in appropriate nearby areas, as a result of aircraft breaking the sound barrier. The seismic waves resulting from earthquakes are in the form of a succession of pressure waves, then disturbance or tension, while explosions in general, whether chemical, nuclear or other, are recorded as the form of pressure waves in all directions, and it is one of the means of distinguishing recorded waves resulting from explosions from those resulting from natural earthquakes. In any case, the definitive distinction between explosions and earthquakes requires the recording of information from several seismic stations surrounding the place of the event.
frequent cases
Such tremors in Denmark have been repeated in the past and often spark controversy each time over their causes, according to Abu Karaki, and examples of this include:
- In August 2016, areas of Amman were subject to earthquakes that shook homes and terrified residents, who felt a slight tremor. While sites affiliated with the armed forces confirmed that the cause was an aircraft that broke the sound barrier, seismological authorities reported that no seismic activity was recorded.
In September 2020, a fighter jet breach in the sound barrier shook the windows of Paris, briefly interrupted tennis matches at Roland-Garros and prompted residents to call emergency services.
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