Study Helps Predict BigMediterranean Quake

Scientists have foundevidence that an overlooked fault in the eastern Mediterraneanis likely to produce an earthquake and tsunami every 800 years as powerful as theone

that destroyed Alexandria in AD 365.

2.Using radiocarbon datingtechniques,simulations and computer models,the researchers recreated the ancientdisaster in order to identify the responsible fault."We are saying

there is probably a repeattime of 800 years for this kind of earthquake,"said Ms Beth Shaw,an earthquakescientist at the University of Cambridge,who led the study.

Scientists study pastearthquakes in order to deter-mine the future possibility of similar large shocks.

3.Identifying the faultfor the AD 365 earthquake and tsunami is important for the tens of millions of peoplein the region,Ms.Shaw said.The fault close to the southwest coast

of Crete last produceda big enough quake to generate a tsunami about 1300,which means the next powerfulone could come in the next 100 years,she added in a telephone

interview.

4.Ms.Shaw and her colleaguescalculate the likely intervals by measuring the motion of either side of the faultto find how often such large earthquakes would have to occur

to account for that levelof motion,she said.Their computer model suggested an 8 magnitude quake on the faultwould pro-duce a tsunami that floods the coastal regions of

Alexandria and NorthAfrica,the southern coast of Greece and Sicily all the way up the Adriati to Dubrovnik.Thiswould be similar to the ancient quake in AD 365 that

caused widespread destructionin much of Greece and unleasheda tsunami that flooded Alexandriaand the Nile Delta likely killing tens of thousands of people,she said.Radiocarbon datingtechniques can be used to identify the age of the earth.

A.Right

B.Wrong

C.Not mentioned