Important warning from Japanese earthquake expert Moriwaki regarding earthquakes in the Aegean Sea! Will a volcanic eruption affect Turkey?

Japanese earthquake expert Yoshinori Moriwaki spoke about the earthquake swarm in the Aegean Sea during a seminar he attended in İzmir.

Stating that the recent earthquakes in the Aegean Sea were initially magnitude 1-2 but reached magnitudes such as 5.1 and 5.3 over time, Moriwaki said the following:

"Seismic activity will continue; earthquakes of up to magnitude 7 or 7.5 could occur in this region. If an earthquake of this intensity occurs, it will be felt in Turkey, but I do not think it will cause damage. In the event of a major earthquake on the island of Santorini, a tsunami with an average height of 3 to 5 meters could form in the open sea. When we look at the map, the impact of a tsunami could come directly from Santorini toward the Marmaris side. However, if there are small islands in between, they block the tsunami. Therefore, if a tsunami occurs, it will not be able to reach as far as İzmir because there are islands in between."

Touching upon the possibility of a volcanic eruption on the island of Santorini, Moriwaki noted that such a situation would not have a major impact on Turkey, although ash could reach the country.

Stating that because the fault lines in the Aegean are short and thin, the İzmir fault line could be triggered if a major earthquake occurs in Santorini, Moriwaki said, "I do not expect a major earthquake in İzmir like the one expected in Istanbul. İzmir's own fault line has not yet broken, so an earthquake could occur, but I do not think it will be very large."

Drawing attention to structural safety, Moriwaki underlined that since the regulations changed in 2000, the ground of buildings constructed before this year must be checked, and if there are any issues, they must be improved.

Emphasizing that the probability of liquefaction is high on soft ground, Moriwaki said, "In an earthquake of magnitude 6 or 6.5 in İzmir, if structures in areas with soft ground like Karşıyaka were not built properly and in accordance with the rules, the earthquake will last longer and the shaking will be felt more intensely."