Dr. Amr Hamouda, Vice President of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), stated that the likelihood of a tsunami occurring in Egypt is almost nonexistent.
Speaking on the “Sabah El Kheir Ya Masr” program, hosted by Mena El Sharkawy and Mostafa Kafafi on the Egyptian First Channel and Satellite Channel, Dr. Hamouda explained that tsunamis are caused by three events: underwater earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or the impact of meteorites or other space objects. They are unrelated to climate changes or any sudden weather conditions.
Dr. Hamouda emphasized that for a tsunami to occur, the earthquake must happen on the ocean floor, causing the water column above to vibrate. The depth and height of the water column from the sea floor must exceed 1,000 meters, with an earthquake strength of around 7 on the Richter scale to trigger a tsunami.
He further explained that the occurrence of a 7-magnitude earthquake in the waters is extremely unlikely at present, with a probability of less than 1%. He noted that the likelihood of a tsunami affecting Alexandria or the Egyptian Mediterranean coasts in the near future is almost zero. The Egyptian coastlines have only experienced tsunamis twice in history, in 365 and 1303 AD, both times triggered by earthquakes with a magnitude of approximately 8 on the Richter scale.
