More than 380 earthquakes have been recorded since January 24th in the sea area of Anydros, between Thera (Santorini) and Amorgos, according to V. Karastathis, Director of the Geodynamic Institute of the National Observatory of Athens, speaking to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA).
“The area experiencing this seismic activity has significant tectonic structures and is therefore considered high-risk. Since January 24th, we’ve observed a large increase in seismic activity, recording over 380 earthquakes. Of these, 85 have been above magnitude 3,” he stated, adding that in the last 24 hours, 10 earthquakes exceeded magnitude 4, with the largest reaching 4.6. “All this requires us to remain cautious. We cannot reassure the public based on the current data. The Geodynamic Institute is closely monitoring the phenomenon’s evolution and all sequence parameters.”
Mr. Karastathis noted that two additional stations will be installed tomorrow on nearby islands, one on Amorgos and one on Anafi, to gain a more detailed picture of the seismic activity. The Geodynamic Institute is on alert, increasing shifts and analyzing data multiple times a day.
“The earthquakes are clearly tectonic in origin. The connection to volcanic activity arose due to a previous phase with microseismicity within the caldera. Within the framework of civil protection, this situation needed to be analyzed and relevant authorities informed. However, the developments we’ve monitored over the past 24 hours between Amorgos and Santorini are purely tectonic,” he explained to AMNA.
When asked about a possible connection to the 1956 Amorgos earthquake, Mr. Karastathis emphasized that any correlation with past earthquakes is risky. The accuracy of historical earthquake data is much lower than necessary for such comparisons. “The number of stations back then was limited, and resources were scarce. Even the depth of the 1956 earthquake is debated, whether it was shallow or quite deep. Our current assessment is based on already researched zones in the specific area, which are, as I mentioned, quite significant.”
Regarding preventative measures, Mr. Karastathis stated, “The Ministry of Civil Protection reacted swiftly. Since the first hours of seismic activity, the Minister and Ministry officials have received daily updates. Daily bulletins are issued about the necessary measures and information is shared with the public on the seismic activity’s progress.”