January 10, 2020
A moderate earthquake of 4.9 on the Richter Scale erupted 53 kilometers (33 miles) east of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant December 27, prompting all sorts of news reports about possible damage to the plant and leaks of radioactivity. The plant officials said there had been no damage. Russia has said the plant was designed to withstand a quake of 8.0 near to the site, which is more than 1,000 times greater than last month’s quake. (Each rise of one point on the Richter Scale is an increase by 10 times in released energy.) The last quake in the region measured 6.3 in 2013, killing 37 people. But an inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) found no damage that time.