Followers of the "conspiracy theory" believe that everything that happens in this universe is pre-planned, and natural disasters such as earthquakes, for example, do not appear to be isolated from these beliefs, as the fingers point at countries and organizations as responsible for them, to achieve political, economic or demographic ends.
On the other hand, experts and scientists assert the impossibility of artificially causing earthquakes, controlling them, and directing them to achieve certain purposes.
Where did the story of artificial earthquakes begin?
According to Professor of Geophysics and Seismology at the University of Jordan and former President of Al-Hussein Bin Talal University, Najeeb Mahmoud Abu Karaki, interest in the issue of artificial earthquakes began after the end of the Vietnam War, and at that time it fell under the climate-environmental geophysical war.
In an interview with Sky News Arabia, Abu Karaki indicated that in 1977 the French scientific magazine "La Rocheriche" dealt with the issue of artificial earthquakes, and published an article entitled "Has the seismic war begun?", which highlighted the possibility of human intervention in changing the environment. Volcanoes or earthquakes stimulate the ionosphere.
According to the professor of geophysics and seismology, the development of technologies since that date was accompanied by the strengthening of the "conspiracy theory" in the minds of the public, so that the artificial earthquakes became a "confused" subject, as he described it, which was sometimes militarized, in order to promote the power of a country. Or to broadcast messages about the danger of approaching them, to mix misinformation with conspiracy ideas.
The most important question: Is it possible, according to the currently available technologies, to make an earthquake artificially?
Dr. Masdouq Al-Taj, a professor of geology at the Hashemite University of Jordan, believes that this is possible in several ways, including nuclear, subsurface, chemical, and mechanical detonation as well.
Al-Taj enters into precise scientific details, explaining his point of view by saying: "Energy is measured in joules or how much it is equivalent to (TNT), but here the resulting energy, that is, artificial, differs from the energy resulting from a natural earthquake."
He adds: "The energy resulting from an earthquake is a movement along a crack, and this movement results from the movement of the energy plates released. The length of the crack, the area of the fractured area, the geometric properties of the rocks, and the speed of the plates on which the movement takes place express the energy released from the earthquake, and it varies. of those who are emancipated from human labour.
Al-Taj explains that the difference between a natural and an artificial earthquake lies in the fact that: "It is impossible to control natural earthquakes, while we can control the artificial earthquakes in terms of the area that will strike and its strength."
Dr. Atta Elias, a researcher and university professor of geophysics and seismology, says that earthquakes are not records of tremors only. These tremors can result from artificial or natural sources, but not every tremor is an earthquake.
He pointed out that geological earthquakes originate from faults that are formed due to accumulated pressures in the earth's crust over many years.
The role of artificial intelligence in facing the risk of earthquakes
Experts' opinions differ when talking about the role of artificial intelligence in predicting earthquakes, as Abu Karaki believes that it is still in the "infancy stage" with regard to such disasters, as according to the professor of geophysics he employs what is known and links it to the data he has.
He points out that there is talk about the possibility of predicting earthquakes through the emission of "radon" gas from the earth's crust, or the alignment of the planets in a certain way, stressing that they are "weak arguments. If there is a way to predict earthquakes, it must be repeatable, otherwise it is inaccurate and unreliable." on her".
For his part, Dr. Atta Elias does not underestimate the role of artificial intelligence, as he believes that it may help scientists understand details related to earthquakes, and identify major data based on big data, or (Big Data), in the hope that it will improve our understanding of these disasters and the timing of their occurrence.