Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-02-05

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Earthquakes, 5.4 and 5.5 R

[02] Voulgarakis visiting New York

[01] Earthquakes, 5.4 and 5.5 R

The two earthquakes, measuring 5.4 and 5.5 on the Richter scale, were recorded at 10:20 p.m. Monday and at 00:15 a.m. Tuesday, at a distance of 155 kilometres southwest of Athens, with their epicentre Halandritsa, 15 kilometres south of Patras, the capital of Achaia prefecture, and were felt throughout the wider region as well as in Aetoloakarnania prefecture.

The director of the Athens Observatory's Geodynamic Institute, seismologist George Stavrakakis, said that the twin earthquakes, as he described them, were followed by a string of aftershocks throughout the night, the largest of which was recorded at 00:56 a.m., with a magnitude of 3.9 Richter.

Stavrakakis urged the local residents to remain calm, noting that seismologists were monitoring the event, explaining that an aftershock activity would be declining in magnitude.

He also clarified that the fact that the second quake was slightly larger in magnitude than the first posed no cause for concern.

The same epicentre had produced a light earthquake of 4.2 Richter magnitude at in the early morning hours of Sunday, at 2:03 a.m.

Meanwhile, Patras University seismology professor Akis Tselentis and seismologist/researcher Gerassimos Houliaras said on television late Monday night that the VAN team had predicted the earthquake in Halandritsa.

The VAN earthquake prediction method, named after the initials of the three seismologists, Professors Panayiotis Varotsos, Kessar Alexopoulos and Kostas Nomicos, who pioneered the technique, monitors geoelectric potential changes on the theory that some electric current would be generated in the earthquake source region just prior to earthquake. The method detects, records and interprets signals from the earth that precede earthquakes. The so-called seismic electromagnetic signals (SEMS) are apparently generated through piezoelectric processes induced by tectonic stress.

The VAN method, although disputed by some seismologists, is nevertheless considered a breakthrough in the short-term prediction (up to one year) of earthquakes.

"I spoke with Mr. Varotsos, who told me that this had been one of his most successful forecasts," Tselentis said.

Tselentis assured local residents that they should not be concerned, given that the VAN forecast had not been for a major quake, but rather a trembler of 5.8-6.0 Richter.

Houliaras confirmed Tselentis' statements, saying that he had read in articles appearing in scientific periodicals that the VAN prediction, made in November, had anticipated seismic activity of up to 6.0 Richter in the specific region.

Whether the actual event was somewhat smaller or larger in magnitude "cannot dispute Mr. Varotsos' international scientific presige".

Both seismologists were also reassuring over the seismic activity in the Halandritsa area

[02] Voulgarakis visiting New York

Voulgarakis will be addressing an international conference on shipping on Tuesday, which is being organised by the Hellenic American Chamber of Commerce on the theme of "Maritime markets, stock exchange bubble or unique opportunities."

In the morning of the same day, Voulgarakis will visit the New York and New Jersey Port Organisation and will be briefed by the Organisation's leadership on operational issues.

During his visit to New York, the minister will also be meeting with expatriate shipowners and members of maritime companies, as well as with officials of the Greek American community.

Lastly, a reception was to be given in his honour at Greece's General Consulate on Monday night.

Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of Merchant Marine, Aegean and Island Policy Minister George Voulgarakis

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