Earthquake activity in the Aegean Sea alerts communities and businesses 

Any tourist who has visited the Greek island of Santorini can attest to the beauty of the black beaches, the blue Aegean Sea and the vistas that can be witnessed from the peaks of the ragged cliffs that form the remains of the famous volcano eruption which occurred 3600 years ago. The island was the site of one of the largest volcanic eruptions in recorded history: the Minoan eruption (sometimes called the Thera eruption), destroyed the Minoan civilization. The eruption left a large caldera surrounded by volcanic ash deposits hundreds of metres deep. 

Unfortunately, the volcano is still active. It will rise again, and it will erupt again. That explains the concerns surrounding a series of successive earthquakes exceeding 4.0 on the Moment Magnitude scale that have been recorded in the Aegean Sea, between the islands of Santorini and Amorgos, raising concerns among local authorities and residents. 

Professor Efthymios Lekkas, president of Greece’s Earthquake Planning & Protection Organisation (OASP), acknowledged the increased seismic activity. “There is an elevated risk. We do not deny it, and this pattern will likely continue for some time,” he said to the Greek City Times. According to that publication, however, Professor Lekkas clarified that there is no direct correlation between the ongoing seismic activity northeast of Santorini and the island’s volcano.  

He said that while the tremors are concerning, they do not currently indicate volcanic unrest. 

The tremors are troubling though for several reasons, not the least of which is the impact on the surrounding area – notably the tourist destination of Santorini, which could suffer from Business Interruption even if there is a mere perception that disaster could be about to strike. 

The Greek City Times also reports that: “In response to the ongoing seismic activity and potential travel disruptions, AEGEAN Airlines has scheduled additional emergency flights to and from Santorini. These flights, arranged at the request of the Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Ministry, aim to facilitate the travel needs of both residents and visitors. Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely, urging residents and tourists to stay informed through official channels while maintaining vigilance for any further seismic activity.” 

According to the USGS, which monitors and reports on earthquakes, assesses earthquake impacts and hazards, and conducts targeted research on the causes and effects of earthquakes, there have been more than 200 earthquakes in the last 48 hours with the largest, most recent tremor coming in at 5.0 on the Moment Magnitude scale. 

The last big earthquake (MM 7.7) in the region occurred in 1956 and although the ‘shake’ was minimal, it did produce a Tsunami at the time. The major concern with these tremors is the link to the Caldera under Santorini and as well as the devastation caused by the 1600BC Volcanic event. Of course, one can never say never, but the less sensationalist headlines suggest the recent clustering of quakes does not reflect the possibility for volcanic activity.  

Russell Group will continue to monitor any further signs of seismic activity and how this might affect the area around Santorini, and the wider region, including Turkey, which might be affected.