A Magnitude 5.2 Earthquake occurred at a depth of 10 km beneath Lake Albert, which forms part of the border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, slightly after 4.30 pm local time (slightly after 1.30 pm, GMT), on Tuesday 2 July 2013, according to the United States Geological Survey. The quake was felt on both sides of the lake, with more severe shaking recorded on the Congolese side, though the only damage recorded was on the Ugandan side, where a number of traditionally-built mud structures were damaged. There are no reports of any casualties.
The location of the 2 July 2013 Lake Albert quake. Google Maps.
Lake Albert forms part of the of the Great Rift Valley, which is slowly splitting the African Plate in two allow a line from the Red Sea through Ethiopia, and which includes the great lakes and volcanoes of east-central Africa. This has the potential to open into a new ocean over the next few tens of millions of years, splitting Africa into two new, smaller, continents; Nubia to the west and Somalia to the east.
See also Amnesty International reports on the mining industry in Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of Congo, At least 20 miners killed in North Kivu mine collapse, Magnitude 4.2 Earthquake in Mozambique, Earthquake shakes Lake Turkana in Kenya and Eruptions on Mount Nyamuragira in the Virunga National Park, November 2011.
Follow Sciency Thoughts on Facebook.
