Israeli quake may be precursor to disaster

Israeli quake may be precursor to disaster
JERUSALEM, Oct. 14 (UPI) -- A 3.0-magnitude earthquake that rattled Israel Sunday may be a precursor to a much larger quake scientists have predicted for the region.
While Sunday's earthquake in Israel's Jordan rift valley area was minor, as were two other recent temblors in the region, scientists are concerned a larger quake could occur due to a nearby rift, Ynetnews reported.
The Syrian-African rift, known for being volatile, is close to the valley area and therefore the site of the recent earthquakes.
Department of Environmental Sciences and Geophysics scientist Shmuel Marko and Oded Katz of the Geophysical Institute of Israel said in a recent study that such seismic activity appears to indicate a more disastrous quake is imminent.
"We know that the area between the Kinneret and the Dead Sea was subject to several large quakes, in 31 B.C., 362 B.C., 749 B.C. and 1033 A.D.," the pair said in that study. "Another major one is coming soon."