Last night’s tremor was a 'small' earthquake - Geological Survey Authority

The Geological Survey Department has described Wednesday’s earth tremor in certain parts of Ghana as a little earthquake.

According to the Authority, the incident which is being referred to as a tremor by Ghanaians was in actual fact an earthquake.

Nicholas Opoku, a senior Seismologist at the Authority, said the earthquake had a magnitude of 4.2 on the Richter scale and described it as a mild earthquake.

“This is a small earthquake. If you are moving from 4.5 to 6.0 [on the Richter scale], you are moving into a moderate earthquake. Then from 6.0 going, you are moving into a bigger one,” Mr. Opoku explained on the Citi FM.

He noted that the epicenter of the earthquake, which was felt outside the Greater Accra Region, was “between Dansoman towards Bortianor.”

The foreshock of the earthquake was measured at 3.7 on the Richter Scale, the mainshock registered at 4.2 on the scale and the aftershock was the weakest measured at about 3.5 on the scale.

In the past few years, environs of Accra have been hit by a series of earth tremors of magnitudes ranging between 2.6 and 3.9.

Nicholas Opoku, a senior Seismologist at the Authority, said the earthquake had a magnitude of 4.2 on the Richter scale and described it as a mild earthquake.

“This is a small earthquake. If you are moving from 4.5 to 6.0 [on the Richter scale], you are moving into a moderate earthquake. Then from 6.0 going, you are moving into a bigger one,” Mr. Opoku explained on the Citi.

He noted that the epicentre of the earthquake, which was felt outside the Greater Accra Region, was “between Dansoman towards Bortianor.”

The foreshock of the earthquake was measured at 3.7 on the Richter Scale, the mainshock registered at 4.2 on the scale and the aftershock was the weakest measured at about 3.5 on the scale.

In the past few years, environs of Accra have been hit by a series of earth tremors of magnitudes ranging between 2.6 and 3.9.