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Earthquake storm in the Aegean! AFAD has taken action for the tsunami risk in three provinces

08 February 2025 16:23 (UTC +04:00)

As earthquakes in the Aegean Sea continue to occur one after another, a seismic activity and potential risk assessment meeting was held at AFAD for Santorini Island, APA reports citing Turkish media.

In the written statement made after the meeting, important details were included. The statement said, "In the evaluation meeting chaired by our Deputy Minister of Interior, Mr. Münir Karaloğlu; the potential dangers that a larger earthquake, tsunami, or volcanic eruption that may occur as a result of the seismic activity observed around Santorini Island in the Aegean Sea since January 28, 2025, could pose to our country's coasts, as well as the precautions and preparations taken, were evaluated with AFAD, MTA, General Directorate of Meteorology, Kandilli Observatory, and Earthquake Research Institute, expert scientists, and researchers."

The statement continued with the following details: "As a result of the activity in the region developing in the form of an earthquake storm, the number of earthquakes greater than 3 reached 761 as of February 7, 2025. The largest recorded earthquake is 5.2 Mw in magnitude. Earthquakes are increasing approximately 25 km northeast of Santorini Island, with depths ranging from 5 km to 25 km. The closest earthquake to our country's coasts is 140 km away. The earthquakes are concentrated in the region of the Kolumbo volcano, which has an underwater crater located 6.5 km northeast of Santorini Island in the Southern Aegean Volcanic Island Arc.

The last known volcanic eruption in the region occurred in 1950. In 1956, an earthquake of 7.5 Mw occurred on the active Yamurgi (Amorgos) fault located northeast of Santorini Island. Although there is a slight possibility that the ongoing seismic activity in the region may lead to potential volcanic activity, a similar intensity of seismic activity was experienced in the same region for 14 months in 2011-2012, but it did not lead to any volcanic activity.