By Abdullah Al-Qarni

Okaz/Saudi Gazette

RIYADH — A minor earthquake, measuring 3.19 degrees on the Richter scale, with 2.45 km depth, was recorded in Al-Shuqaiq governorate in the southwestern Jazan region.

The Seismic monitoring stations of the National Network for Earthquakes and Volcanoes of the Saudi Geological Survey (SGS) monitored the tremor, which occurred at 11:53 a.m., in a location seven kilometers south of Al-Shuqaiq governorate.

Tariq Aba Al-Khail, spokesman of SGS, said that there were no casualties or damages caused by the earthquake, which is considered as very weak on the Richter scale.

He attributed the cause of the earthquake to the expansion of the Red Sea bed from the western direction, which caused the reactivation of faults in that area, whether the faults parallel to the Red Sea or perpendicular to it.

It is noteworthy to note that this was the second time the southern region was witnessing mild earthquake within one month. On Oct. 28, a mild tremor occurred in Khamis Mushayt in the Asir region.

The tremor, measuring 3.1 degrees on the Richter scale, and with 2.5 km depth, was recorded in a location 10 kilometers south of Khamis Mushayt.

Last April, a tremor measuring 2.7 on the Richter scale and 9km in depth was recorded east of Qunfudah governorate in the Makkah region. Some parts of the Kingdom experience minor seismic activity in intermittent intervals.