Wednesday19 February 2025
smiua.net

Earthquakes every 20 minutes: why Santorini is shaking and is there a risk of a volcanic eruption?

In the region, earthquakes may recur and could even be more powerful.
Землетрясение на Санторини каждые 20 минут: что вызывает эти колебания и стоит ли опасаться извержения вулкана?

Greece is not only a treasure trove of ancient artifacts, but also a country partially shaped by volcanic activity. Specifically, Santorini, a group of islands in the Aegean Sea.

In the past few days, over 200 underwater earthquakes with magnitudes up to 4.8 have been recorded there. The strongest quake, measuring 4.6, occurred between Santorini and the neighboring island of Amorgos on Sunday afternoon, prompting local authorities to close schools and deploy emergency response teams. Residents reported that at one point, quakes were happening every 20 minutes.

Experts assert that these earthquakes are not directly linked to the dormant Santorini volcano and do not trigger its activity. The last eruption occurred 1600 years ago.

Quakes with magnitudes up to 4.9, according to scientists, are associated with the Amorgos fault in the southeastern Aegean Sea. There is a possibility that the accumulating energy could lead to an earthquake measuring 5-5.5 on the Richter scale. Seismic activity may persist for several days, weeks, or even months.

It is worth noting that nearly 70 years ago, this region experienced a magnitude 7.5 earthquake—the strongest in Europe in the 20th century. It triggered a tsunami that reached heights of 25 meters. At that time, 53 people lost their lives.

Earlier, "Telegraf" reported that Ukraine has also been experiencing frequent "shakes" lately. Recently, an earthquake was recorded in Poltava. Scientists believe that in the coming years, Ukraine could experience a significant earthquake that may result in the destruction of homes in several regions.