Greece On High Alert As 200 Earthquakes Rock The Region In 48 Hours

Greece is on high alert. With more than 200 earthquakes rocking the region in 48 hours, and more expected, local authorities are not taking any chances and are getting residents as prepared as they can be, should the big one hit.

Beginning on Saturday, Santorini was rattled repeatedly by earthquakes. The quakes continued into Sunday, where the largest, a 4.6 magnitude was felt.

In total, over 200 earthquakes have struck the region.

The biggest fear of residents is that all the earthquakes are indicative that a volcano is about to erupt. However, when a series of earthquakes were felt in 2011 and 2012, there was no volcanic eruption.

While some earthquakes before the swarm were coming from the caldera found near the island, the caldera stopped the earthquakes in the days before the more than 200 quakes began to shake.

To err on the side of caution, school has been closed through Monday. Residents have been given a series of safety recommendations to follow as the earthquakes continue to keep Santorini residents on edge as they shake the island.

Possibility Of A Stronger Earthquake Cannot Be Ruled Out

While the largest of the earthquakes in the region was a 4.6 magnitude that rattled Santorini on Sunday afternoon, this may not be the largest of the earthquakes to come. This is why so many preventative measures have been put in place to keep residents safe in case a massive earthquake is on the horizon.

According to Kostas Papazachos, Professor of Geophysics at Thessaloniki Aristotle University, with the number of fault lines that surround Santorini, it was impossible to rule out the possibility of a larger earthquake, given how many have already been felt.

Does this mean that a large earthquake is imminent? No. But, because there is the very real possibility that one could strike over the next couple of days, the government has sent out warnings to Santorini residents.

Some of the warnings, according to AFP include:

Avoid large gatherings in enclosed spaces

Stay clear of ports in Santorini

Stay away from empty buildings

Stay away from areas where landslides are common

Remove water from swimming pools

By having these precautions in place, the hope is that if there is a large earthquake, the loss of life will be minimized as much as possible, given that the destruction of property would likely be high.

Santorini Experiences Multiple Earthquakes Per Year Due To Being Located On Several Fault Lines

Santorini is known for having its fair share of earthquakes given it is located on the Hellenic Volcanic Arc. The Hellenic Volcanic Arc is one of the most active volcanic regions in the world. Evidence of the arc is visible with the caldera that is located on the west coast of Santorini.

In the last 360,000 years, the Hellenic Volcanic Arc has seen over 100 eruptions. More recently, since September, there have been “mild earthquakes” centered in the caldera. The largest of which was a 3.8 on January 25, which triggered Santorini to be under a watchful eye for volcanic activity.

The most recent earthquakes have not come from the caldera.

With Santorini being on several fault lines, the city is prone to shaking with approximately seven earthquakes annually.

The major fault lines that run through Santorini include:

However, the fear of multiple earthquakes in a row comes from the fact that Santorini was formed after a massive eruption in 1600 BC. This eruption was preceded by many earthquakes in a row before one of the largest volcanic eruptions in the history of the world.

Currently, scientists are stating that the 200 or more earthquakes that have rocked Santorini are not the result of volcanic activity but tectonic movement. Therefore, it appears, at least for now, that a volcanic eruption of Greece’s “Instagram island” is not a threat. What is causing all the movement along the plates under the ocean, however, and just how many more earthquakes will rattle Santorini has yet to be determined.