Moldova will find out about global earthquakes in real time

A national seismic data center was opened at the Institute of Geology and Seismology of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova. It is connected to an international data system that allows to almost immediately record the earthquakes that happen in the world, Info-Prim Neo reports. In the inaugural ceremony on October 22, the Institute’s director Vasile Alcaz said the national seismic data center offers new prospects for regional and international cooperation at a higher level. “Now that this center was created, the Institute of Geology and Seismology will better monitor the seismic activity, using modern technology,” he said. Gheorghe Duca, the president of the Academy of Sciences of Moldovan, said that immediately after connected, the center in Chisinau recorded a quake that happened half an hour earlier in the Vrancea Mountains. Deputy Minister of Construction and Regional Development Anatol Zalatkov, who is an antiseismic constructions engineer, said any construction starts from seismology, from the properties of the land. According to him, this database will help formulate norms for increasing building security. Ion Ilies, the head of the Seismic Division of the Institute of Geology and Seismology, said the national center will cooperate with the regional seismic centers in Romania, Ukraine and Russia, and with European and world centers. He said that though the station is modern, it does not have a number of programs. He voiced hope the Antelope Program that costs US$120,000 will be bought in a not too distant future. Invitee from Bucharest Gheorghe Marmureanu, director general of the National Institute for Earth Physics of Romania, said this system is very useful in forecasting tsunami. Such a center exists only in Bucharest. He added earthquakes measuring seven degrees on the Richter scale are not expected in the near future. Viorel Parvu, seismologist of the Bucharest-based Institute, stated for Info-Prim Neo that Romania has about 70 real-time seismic stations and uses the real-time information provided by about 20 stations from abroad. All these data are sent to the seismic data center in Chisinau. Romania, with the support of the U.S., donated to Moldova three digital seismic stations during the last four years. The national seismic data center was set up at a cost of 450 lei. The money was allocated from the state budget. In Moldova, the seismic events are monitored by the Institute of Geology and Seismology by a network of six seismic stations located in Chisinau, Giurgiulesti, Cahul, Leova, Soroca, and Milestii Mici. Until now, the national network recorded 1,300-1,600 global earthquakes and 30-150 regional earthquakes a year.