Santorini residents are grappling with a severe ‘seismic crisis’ with surge in earthquakes that have unsettled the picturesque Greek island, known for its stunning views and tourist appeal.
Georgia Nomikou, a local, describes the impact of the tremors, saying, “We’ve put all our mattresses in the living room.” The island has been experiencing thousands of earthquakes over the past week, part of what scientists are calling an “unprecedented” seismic swarm or crisis—a sudden and intense increase in earthquake activity within a specific area.
Authorities declared a state of emergency after a 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck on Wednesday, the strongest recorded so far. About 75% of the island’s 15,000 residents have evacuated, while more tremors were felt on Thursday.
The unusual nature of these quakes has left experts puzzled, as the pattern does not follow the typical mainshock-aftershock sequence. Dr. Athanassios Ganas, research director at the National Observatory of Athens, calls it “really unprecedented”, noting that Greece has never seen anything like this in modern history.
Santorini sits on the Hellenic Volcanic Arc, a chain of islands formed by volcanic activity. While the island last experienced a major eruption in the 1950s, the cause of the current seismic crisis remains unclear.
Dr. Ganas links the phenomenon to the awakening of a local volcano last summer, followed by a surge in seismic activity in January. This has rapidly escalated in the past week, with thousands of quakes recorded since Sunday.
Dr. Margarita Segou from the British Geological Survey describes the quakes as occurring in “pulses”, where seismic activity intensifies for a couple of hours following a stronger tremor before settling down again.
Seismologists are uncertain whether Wednesday’s earthquake was the peak or if stronger quakes could follow. Authorities warn that the activity might persist for weeks.
Experts are also unsure whether these tremors are foreshocks leading to a larger earthquake or isolated seismic events. While some major earthquakes are preceded by smaller quakes, the current tremors do not match the characteristics of volcanic earthquakes, according to Dr. Ganas.
Dr. Segou and her team have used machine learning to analyze past earthquakes from 2002 and 2004 in the region, hoping to identify patterns that might indicate how this crisis will unfold.
While many residents have fled, some are choosing to stay. Nomikou, who also serves as president of Santorini’s town council, says her family has packed emergency bags and is “ready to go if anything happens.”
Others remain unfazed. Chantal Metakides, a long-time resident, insists she isn’t worried. “For 500 years, this house has survived earthquakes and volcanic eruptions,” she told media, adding, “there’s no reason why this should change.”
