Greek press, Santorini’de increased earthquakes, 1956 Amorgos disaster revived the memories of the disaster, “History can repeat,” he asks the question. Santorini and its surrounding Cyclad islands are not alien to seismic mobility. For the last few days, the region has been shaken by hundreds of earthquakes of exceeding 4.0 on a Richter scale, while the authorities stressed that these jolts are tectonic, not volcanic. However, the intensive activity fueled concerns about the seismic history of the region; Especially the most powerful earthquake that recently hit Greece, the destructive 1956 Amorgos earthquake is currently on the agenda of the region. According to the earthquake scientists, who examined seismic data in terms of earthquake in 1956, it cannot be spoken that the mobility will cause an earthquake over 7.
Tsunami also happened
On July 9, 1956, a powerful earthquake of about 7.2 magnitude, recently occurred in the south of Amorgos next to the seismic mobility. The earthquake triggered the largest tsunami recorded in the Mediterranean in the last two centuries. All the villages on the islands were destroyed and more than 3,200 buildings were damaged. During the earthquake, 54 people died in Santorini. These two disasters left an indelible trace in Greece and were engraved in memory as a bitter experience that shows how vulnerable the region was against seismic activity..
20 meter waves
Tsunami, which caused waves of 20 meters on the southern shores of Amorgos, caused damage to Astypalaea and Crete and Western Anatolia. Historical records show that the sea has completely withdrawn Amorgos from Katapola Port and allows people to walk on the sea floor before the waves hit back.
75 kilometers of fracture
The latest scientific research has demonstrated new information about the fault responsible for the 1956 earthquake. A study published in Nature magazine in 2024 detected a 75 km -long sea base fracture along the Amorgos Fault. This length was seen as a proof of major displacement that triggered both the earthquake and the tsunami. The central base of the earthquake was 5-20 km of Amorgos. The depth was estimated to be about 25 km. Only 13 minutes later, a strong aftershocks ranging from 6.0-7.2 near Santorini occurred. The shaking increased the damage further.
There are three possibilities
Earthquake Scientist Dr. Şükrü Ersoy gave the following information about whether seismic mobility in the region would lead to a major earthquake: “1956 Amargos earthquake disaster was 7.2 in size; traces of this measurement were also found at a point adjacent to Amorgos, which is the earthquake earthquake. There may be signs of a volcanic activity. Because the size goes up to 5. There are many earthquakes. However, the mobility here can trigger large earthquakes, nobody can say it. At the end of this activity, nothing may take. There may be an earthquake, volcanic activity may begin, tsunami. “
Are Regional Faults?
Greek seismologist Efthymios Lekkas emphasizes that Santorini-Amorgos seismic activity is not related to volcanic movements, but to tectonic shifts along regional faults. Scientists cannot ignore a larger earthquake, but the shocks may be 5.0-5.5. YAccording to the Unan media, the Santorini-Amorgos Fault has not been broken since 1956. This leads to concerns about the accumulation of potential stress. Experts say that Santorini’s seismic activity is usually linked to magma movements under the Calde, while emphasizing that the Amorgos Fault is completely tectonic, that is, stress can accumulate for decades.
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