BEIRUT—  After intensive Israeli airstrikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut since fighting escalated between Hezbollah and Israel on Sept. 23, some citizens in the capital reported feeling what seemed like earthquakes after the bombardments. Dr. Tony Nemer, a professor of geology, structural geology, earthquakes and petroleum, explained onSunday on X that "the extremely heavy Israeli bombardment on the southern suburbs of Beirut is the cause of these vibrations due to the intense explosions."

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فيما خص شعور المواطنين في بيروت وبعض المناطق اللبنانية هذه الأيام بما يشبه الهزات الأرضية، إن القصف الإسرائيلي العنيف جداً على ضاحية بيروت الجنوبية هو سبب هذه الاهتزازات نتيجة الانفجارات العنيفة

— Tony S. Nemer, PhD (@tony_nemer) October 6, 2024

He elaborated, "The bombs used, especially those designed to penetrate fortifications, generate extremely violent tremors that closely resemble the tremors caused by seismic waves, particularly during the penetration process and then at the moment of explosion."

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"These tremors or waves are generated at the explosion sites where they peak and then begin to fade as they propagate through the ground and along its surface, where we feel them," Nemer continued.

Consequently, "their effect becomes weak to nonexistent in terms of triggering natural earthquakes on Lebanese seismic faults, especially since these faults are far from the locations targeted by the fortification-penetrating bombs south of Beirut," he said.

He provided examples, saying, "The Yammouneh Fault is 25 km away, the Roum Fault is 30 km away, and the nearest offshore fault is 15 km away."

"Based on the above," Nemer concluded, "the possibility of triggering natural earthquakes on Lebanese seismic faults due to the extremely violent and barbaric Israeli bombardment on the southern suburbs of Beirut is very slim to almost nonexistent."

He clarified that his explanation "comes in response to repeated questions on this subject and is not intended to downplay the magnitude of the destructive catastrophe that Lebanon is experiencing."

More than 30 Israeli strikes, some of significant power, shook the southern suburbs of Beirut during the night from Saturday to Sunday.

This night was described by some media and observers as even more violent than the night of Friday, Sept. 27, following the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, during which the southern suburb was bombarded dozens of times.