Naci Görür warns two of our cities after earthquakes in the Aegean Sea! 'A tsunami is likely'

The earthquake swarm that has been ongoing for 4 days in the Aegean Sea has caused concern. Prof. Dr. Naci Görür made important warnings regarding the more than 400 earthquakes that have occurred and created anxiety.

Speaking to Fulya Soybaş from Hürriyet, Görür explained what is happening in the Aegean Sea with the following words:

"The Earth's lithosphere, also called the crust or upper mantle, is divided into plates. These plates move, and when they move at their boundaries, earthquakes occur. The plates in Turkey are the Eurasian-Anatolian plate in the north, the African plate in the south, and the Arabian plate in the east-southeast. Their boundaries are faults. The boundary between Eurasia and Anatolia is the North Anatolian Fault, and the boundary between the Arabian-African-Anatolian plates is the East Anatolian Fault, where 50-60 thousand people lost their lives. The African plate moves northward and subducts under Turkey. We call the place where it subducts the Hellenic-Cyprus arc, or the subduction zone.

The Anatolian plate, which remains on top of this sequence, is stretched due to this subduction, and sometimes a magmatic arc forms on it. Now, the place where these earthquakes are occurring is the place where such a magmatic arc and tension are formed. It's not over! Near our Marmara region, the North Anatolian Fault between the Eurasian and Anatolian plates rotates slightly clockwise and extends to where these earthquakes are occurring. Let me summarize. This earthquake swarm, which appears complex, is being experienced due to the subduction of Africa under the Anatolian plate, the stretching of the Anatolian plate above, and the movement of the southern branch of the North Anatolian Fault reaching this far.

These movements are happening northeast of Santorini Island. Istanbul is a bit far from here, while the Aydın and Muğla vicinities are closer. A region that shakes every 15-20 minutes undergoes micro-deformation even if there is no visible destruction. This can also be felt from Turkey. If there is a large rupture close to Turkey, we could also be affected by the potential earthquake and experience destruction.

It is also likely that a tsunami could form. Because there is a fault system here that can create a tsunami. There are dip-slip movements. If the earthquake swarm continues in this way and the magnitudes are high depending on the direction of the rupture, a tsunami would also affect our coasts. But look, I am not saying 'it will happen,' I am saying 'it could happen.' It might not happen either. Earthquake swarms are regional events that can occur. Sometimes they last for months. It is not possible to predict when they will stop. However, it is possible to take precautions."

"WHEN I SAW THE PRECAUTIONS ON THE ISLAND, I SAID 'THIS IS IT'"

Görür also noted the following regarding the evacuation of Santorini Island:

"They evacuated the island, closed the schools, set up tents, and the army arrived. And pay attention! They did this for an earthquake that is not certain to happen or not. Maybe everything will return to normal in 5-10 days. Then some of our people will make fun of it in their own way, saying, 'Look at those people, what a panic they made for something that won't happen.' But that is exactly what we call a precaution. A human life is worth everything.

The state exists for this. Saying 'I will provide 5-10 liras of support to those who reinforce their homes' is not a precaution. Quickly rebuilding collapsed houses is not preparing for an earthquake. A precaution means identifying earthquake zones, realizing where plate boundaries are, and providing special architectural, engineering, and contracting services in these areas, and even conducting soil surveys and using special materials according to the location, and if the soil is not suitable, ensuring that citizens migrate to suitable areas and taking measures in this direction. Otherwise, it is not taking precautions, it is just patching up wounds."