Tsunami warning from Kandilli Observatory! 'Let's be prepared'
At a tsunami workshop held at Boğaziçi University, KRDAE Director Prof. Dr. Nurcan Meral Özel emphasized that Turkey must be prepared for tsunamis across all its seas along its 8,300-kilometer coastline. Özel stated that the tsunamis experienced in recent years have served as a reminder of this reality once again.
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A tsunami workshop was held at the Boğaziçi University Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute (KRDAE).
According to a statement from the university, the workshop was held at KRDAE with the participation of representatives from the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, the Istanbul Provincial Disaster and Emergency Directorate, the Turkish Radio Amateurs Association, municipalities bordering the Sea of Marmara, and academics.
KRDAE Director Prof. Dr. Nurcan Meral Özel stated in her speech that they have issued 46 tsunami messages since July 1, 2012, including 31 information messages, 9 recommendations, and 6 warnings.
Emphasizing that earthquakes occurring along the coastline can trigger tsunamis and that there must be preparedness, especially on coasts with critical infrastructure and dense settlements such as gas filling facilities and nuclear power plants, Özel said, "We need to be prepared for tsunamis in all seas along Turkey's approximately 8,300-kilometer coastline. The tsunamis that occurred in Bodrum, Muğla in 2017 and Seferihisar, İzmir in 2020, which resulted in one death, reminded us of this reality once again."
Noting that they perform earthquake analysis 24/7 thanks to 297 seismic sensors and stations from which data is received through national and international collaborations, Özel said, "Sea level and atmospheric changes are monitored continuously with sensors such as pressure, humidity, and temperature at 20 tide gauge stations of the General Directorate of Mapping and 28 multidisciplinary tsunami early warning and observation stations operated by KRDAE, for use in tsunami warning messages."
Stating that earthquakes occurring at sea with tsunami potential have also led to an increase in tsunami preparedness and awareness efforts in the NEMATWS region under UNESCO, Özel added the following:
"The LastMile (Bodrum) and CoastWAVE (Büyükçekmece) projects, which we carry out under the coordination of UNESCO, have played an important role in efforts to increase the resilience of coastal cities against tsunamis.
As a result of the 'Tsunami Ready Recognition Program' implemented in the pilot region of Büyükçekmece, Istanbul over the past two years, Büyükçekmece has become the second city in Europe and the first in Turkey to be recognized by UNESCO as a 'Tsunami Ready City in the Eastern Mediterranean and Europe'."