Looming Earthquake Threat in Ghana

Abstract

The earthquake catalogue of Ghana since the first recorded earthquake and recently collected seismic data in earthquake-prone locations of the Greater Accra Region, Ghana’s capital, are covered in this chapter. This study lists the locations, periods, magnitudes, and intensities of 44 earthquakes and tremors from the past 408 years using the country’s seismic inventory. The HoliSurface approach was also utilised to conduct Multichannel Analysis of Surface Wave (MASW) surveys to collect seismic data from 22 sites in the southern Greater Accra Region’s seismically active zones. The earthquake catalogue data and geophysical data will help determine if Ghana is facing a major earthquake. This analysis shows that consistent earth tremors over the previous few years increase the risk of a devastating earthquake. The Gutenberg-Richter relations further emphasise the probabilities of a looming earthquake threat in the Ghana. The geophysical investigations also revealed areas with relatively weak subsurface materials that might contribute to more destruction in the event of an earthquake. The fundamental periods of the sites being in resonance with the buildings is also another disaster in waiting.