Armenian MES intends activating deformograph in Garni observatory

YEREVAN, February 16. /ARKA/. The Armenian Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES) intends to activate the unique deformograph in Garni observatory which displays even the most minor alterations in the Earth’s crust, Armen Yeritsyan, the Emergency Minister, said Thursday. 

On the Thursday session Yeritsyan turned to the Prime-minister Tigran Sargsyan asking for the support in restarting the unique equipment. 

Sargsyan, in his turn, instructed the relevant structures to discuss this issue with the interested sides, particularly with the National Academy of Sciences and the American company, currently exploiting the Garni observatory.

Yeritsyan said that the deformograph hasn’t been used for more than 20 years, however today the recent and frequent earthquakes happening in the region underscored the necessity of its moderation and re-using. 

“It is an equipment which is unique for the entire region. It monitored the alterations in the Earth’s crust two days prior to the Spitak earthquake in 1988. However, due to it being new, the specialists thought it was defective”, the Minister said.

Yeritsyan reported that the Garni observatory is located at the 60 meters depth, and the deformograph itself- 360 meters. According to him, this is the only observatory located on the Garni fault in the region.

The minister also said that in 2011 about 15 earthquakes of 3.0 points happened in Armenia, and in 2012 the seismologists already monitored 3 analogical earthquakes.

Yeritsyan also said that there are about 4,5 thousand high-rise buildings in Armenia, the seismic resistance of which is calculated up to 7.0 points. -0-