Georgia Nomikou states, “We’ve placed all of our mattresses in the living room.”
A resident of Santorini worries about the effects of the frequent earthquakes on the Greek island, which attracts tourists because of its picturesque scenery.
However, dozens of earthquakes have shattered the paradise during the past week.
The region’s Greek islands, including Santorini, are experiencing a “unprecedented” seismic swarm or crisis, which is the term used to describe a sudden spike in earthquake activity.
A 5.2-magnitude earthquake, the worst yet, shook the island on Wednesday, forcing authorities to declare a state of emergency and evacuate about three-quarters of its 15,000 residents.
On Thursday, other quakes were felt, though they were smaller.
Since they haven’t been connected to a significant shock, scientists believe that the “clusters” of earthquakes have baffled them and that such a pattern is unusual. What’s happening, then?
What’s taking place in Santorini?
What Greece’s prime minister has described as a “extremely and intricate geological phenomenon” is being experienced by the island, according to experts.
According to Dr. Athanassios Ganas, research director of the National Observatory of Athens, “it is really unprecedented, we have never seen something like this before in [modern times] in Greece.”
The Hellenic Volcanic Arc, a group of islands formed by volcanoes, is where Santorini is located.
However, there hasn’t been a significant eruption there since the 1950s, so it’s unknown what’s causing the current situation.
According to Dr. Ganas, experts report that a large number of earthquakes in a comparatively limited area do not follow the pattern of a mainshock-aftershock cycle.
According to him, everything started last summer when a volcano on Santorini erupted. Then, a “surge” of seismic activity occurred in January, with lesser earthquakes being reported.
Over the past week, that activity has increased.
Since Sunday, thousands of earthquakes have been reported, with Wednesday’s being the most notable to date.
“We are in the middle of a seismic crisis,” stated Dr. Gasnas.
According to Dr. Margarita Segou of the British Geological Survey, the earthquakes occur “in pulses” every day.
According to her, this “swarm-like behavior” indicates that the “seismicity is increased for one to two hours, and then the system relaxes again” following a more powerful earthquake, such as a magnitude four.
What is the duration of this seismic activity?
To put it simply, there is no way to know. The nighttime quake on Wednesday is expected to be the largest to ever strike the island.
However, seismologists told the BBC that it’s hard to tell. The action may continue for weeks, according to authorities.
Additionally, experts are unsure if this series of earthquakes is an independent occurrence or a series of foreshocks preceding a major earthquake.
Some significant earthquakes do have foreshocks, which are heightened levels of mild to moderate seismic events, before to the main shock, according to Professor Joanna Faure Walker, a specialist in earthquake geology at UCL’s Institute of Disaster Risk Reduction.
However, Dr. Ganas claims that what is occurring right now is not a volcanic earthquake. Low frequency wave patterns are a hallmark of volcanic earthquakes, and these have not been seen here.
Dr. Segou told the BBC that in order to understand how the 2002 and 2004 earthquakes in the area ended, she and her colleagues used machine learning, a data analysis technique that can generate predictions, to analyze past earthquakes in the area.
“Those earthquakes were not as strong as the ones we are feeling now,” she remarked. However, the “signatures” of their beginnings and endings might provide insight into the patterns to watch for.
To help the island deal with any significant earthquake, more military personnel and police units have been sent there in the interim.
The town council president of Santorini, Ms. Nomikou, stated that although her family was remaining put, they had individually packed a tiny suitcase that was “ready to go if anything happens.”
However, several islanders claim that the tremors don’t bother them.
One resident of Santorini claims, “I’m not afraid at all,” despite many of her neighbors evacuating the volcanic island due to the incessant earthquakes.
According to Chantal Metakides, she will not be joining her countrymen. “For 500 years, this house has lived through earthquakes and volcanic eruptions and it’s still standing,” she told the AFP news agency. She continued, “there’s no reason why this should change” .
