It was felt in Istanbul too... Şener Üşümezsoy evaluated the earthquake in Tekirdağ: Is it moving toward a new fault?

The earthquake that occurred off the coast of Marmaraereğlisi and was felt in surrounding provinces, including Istanbul, has caused concern among the public regarding a new major earthquake. The Kandilli Observatory announced the magnitude of the earthquake as 4.0, while AFAD reported it as 3.7. Following the tremor, Geological Engineer Prof. Dr. Şener Üşümezsoy joined a live broadcast on TV100 to provide his assessment.

''IT IS NOT MOVING TO A NEW FAULT''

Üşümezsoy stated that the recent earthquake is a continuation of the same line as the earthquakes that occurred in 2019 and on April 23, 2024. Stating, "This is a naturally occurring aftershock. It is not heading toward a new fault. It is the result of the accumulations the fault there is experiencing within itself," Üşümezsoy expressed that there is no scenario to fear, but that a new magnitude 6 earthquake could occur.

''WE DO NOT EXPECT A SINGLE-PIECE RUPTURE''

Drawing attention to the depth of the fault, Üşümezsoy said, "The earthquakes in the Silivri trough extend to a depth of approximately 20 kilometers. Similarly, the earthquakes in the Tekirdağ trough reach 20-25 kilometers. For this reason, the fault is deep and the ruptures are occurring in pieces," he said.

''THE 7.2 MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE SCENARIO IS NOT REALISTIC''

According to the expert, these fragmented ruptures do not point to a large amount of accumulated energy, stating, "A magnitude 7 or 7.2 earthquake that would rupture all at once is not expected. There is no basis for that feared scenario," he said.

Responding to the question of whether there is a single, 180-kilometer-long fault line extending across the Marmara Sea, Üşümezsoy said, "No, that fault consists of two separate pieces. It is not possible for it to rupture as a whole."

Üşümezsoy also claimed that Prof. Dr. Celal Şengör has also abandoned the single-piece fault scenario.

Finally, touching upon how the aftershocks will proceed, Üşümezsoy stated, "They will continue at low intensities. Perhaps there could be one more magnitude 6 earthquake. But this fault is discharging itself with small energies, rupturing in pieces. There is no situation to panic about," he said.