Scientists are on high alert due to the continuous earthquakes in the Cyclades , and specifically in the triangle of Amorgos , Santorini , and Anafi , with concern , anxiety , and fear escalating hour by hour, seismic tremor after seismic tremor.
For another day on Tuesday (4/2), seismographs… went crazy recording strong earthquakes , with the largest measuring 5 on the Richter scale occurring in the afternoon and felt even in Attica , while dozens of aftershocks above 4 on the Richter scale followed .
Is it a pre-earthquake sequence?
Is it a release of the pressure that has built up?
Is it a harbinger of a volcanic eruption , since that possibility also exists?
The Government ‘s handling of this situation has caused panic , which in turn has resulted in the mass exodus of islanders , especially from Santorini , where almost two-thirds of its population have left!
Enceladus pass!
What will these people do away from their homes? Where will they stay and under what conditions? For how long? Answers to these questions may not exist, but what is reportedly on the minds of those in power is how they will create a… Enceladus pass !
As Attica TV revealed, the mass exodus of people and the above questions, the travel instructions already issued from abroad to avoid the Cyclades, the uncertainty for the thousands of seasonal workers in the tourism industry but also for those currently working in Santorini where everything has died, have put Mitsotakis ‘ solution on the table for every disease : the pass!
An Enceladus pass either for the summer , if this seismic crisis is resolved without losses and in case there are cancellations of reservations on the Cyclades islands (so that domestic tourism can move as they claim), or for employees who cannot work due to the conditions that have been created.
All of this is under study and will depend on how Enceladus moves and when the fault reported by seismologists will “burst”.
As announced by government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis , a broad meeting will be held at the Ministry of Civil Protection under Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Wednesday at noon .
” At 1:00 PM, a meeting will be held at the Ministry of Civil Protection in the presence of the Prime Minister , where the main proposal will be made, initially by the Minister of Civil Protection, Vasilis Kikilias , for the codification of the basic prevention-mobilization actions with all the contingencies that may occur and that we can foresee ,” Mr. Marinakis initially said on SKAI radio.
And he continued: ” There will be four short presentations by scientists , Mr. Papazachos , a seismologist, Mrs. Nomiko , a volcanologist, Mr. Synolakis , the professor, and Mr. Lekkas from the OASP. The Prime Minister will also make a closing statement based on the data that will be presented to him, so that citizens have an idea .”
Lekkas is cautious
” In these seismic sequences, we cannot yet speak of a main earthquake ,” said OASP President Efthimios Lekkas to ERT and added:
” We cannot calculate what situation we are in. Unfortunately, all members of the Seismic Risk Assessment Committee of the Earthquake Planning and Protection Organization cannot estimate which scenario we will go to, because we do not know the earthquake phenomenon well. Nature operates with different laws, different conditions. So we formulate scenarios to operationally prepare our response and our actions , to have the smallest impacts. A scenario of going with earthquakes of the order of 5 degrees, has the positive aspect that no damage occurs , but the negative aspect is that it will go on for a long period of time. It will be a long sequence , perhaps a few weeks, maybe even a few months .”
Regarding the 5.5 Richter scenario , Mr. Lekkas commented: ” A lot of energy will be absorbed, so seismic activity will automatically decrease in the next period of time. If we remain at the magnitudes of earthquakes that are occurring now, the phenomena will possibly remain for two, three, four weeks or even a few months. There will be a recession, they will appear again, there will be interruptions, there will be a greater frequency on some days, but smaller magnitudes, or on other days there will be larger magnitudes with a more sparse frequency. These are scenarios that we are examining, but without being able to determine which scenario nature itself will essentially follow .”
“Somewhat excessive process” of the mass exodus
He then tried to reassure people, although this is quite difficult:
” I think it’s reasonable for people to leave Santorini because many people, many of our fellow citizens, are particularly sensitive to all these phenomena, but I think it’s also a bit of an exaggerated process . If you were to tell me if Santorini is safe, I would tell you that Santorini is safe – in these scenarios that we described .”
As for the possibility of an extreme scenario , Mr. Lekkas responded:
” We should always calculate it. I believe that the chances are extremely small, but they are within the existing possibilities that exist, even if they are very small. Therefore, this great mobilization is justified, which is really the first time that has happened in a similar case in the Greek region.”
But is there a possibility that Richter magnitudes are linked to volcanic activity ?
The President of the OASP replied: ” So far we do not see any connection with volcanic activity. We do not see any such connection between volcanic processes and seismic activity. If all these processes continue, it may in the future , but we have a long way to go, because earthquakes can happen at any time, but volcanoes do not become active from one moment to the next. They take several weeks, several months, several years, one might say. Therefore, we have an interesting scientific future ahead of us to see exactly how nature works, because this is what it is about.”
As for the closure of schools on several islands, Efthimios Lekkas said:
” It is reasonable for schools in Amorgos, Ios and Anafi to close. It was a proposal from the Seismic Risk Assessment Committee to the ministry, which accepted it. Schools will be closed until Friday . In the other areas there will be no burden from seismic activity . “
In Naxos, for example, or in Paros, but for reasonable psychological reasons, the mayors of these areas decided, as follows from the law, to close the schools. I consider this action somewhat excessive, but for Santorini, Amorgos, Anafi and Chios it is preventive, purely, preventive, we proposed to close the schools .
Schools closed on Milos on Wednesday
The Municipality of Milos announced the suspension of the operation of the Primary and Secondary Education school units located within its administrative boundaries and of the Municipal Buildings “Childcare Center” and “KDAP” for Wednesday, February 5 .
” The decision was made due to the duration and intensity of the seismic vibrations and the evolution of the phenomenon in combination with forecasts for severe weather events (rain and a large drop in temperature), which makes it impossible and poses serious risks for children to be in closed and open spaces .”
“Rare phenomenon”
Vasilis Karathanasis , director of the Athens Geodynamic Institute, spoke to SKAI about the seismic surge, calling it a ” rare phenomenon ” that we have never seen before in Greece and did not rule out the possibility of a larger earthquake .
He pointed out, however, that he is more inclined towards the phenomenon of the constellation :
“So far, what we want to see is the statistical evaluation of the sequence. We look at the indicators and see that they are compatible with a cluster scenario, however, we are waiting for the data with the new seismographs to enter the calculations. The new data will be more accurate. Researchers will be able to study smaller earthquakes. We will have more remarkable results.”
Regarding the case of a volcanic eruption due to the vibrations, Mr. Karathanasis pointed out: ” I could rule it out .” And he added that he does not rule out ” hydrothermal effects ,” ” landslides ,” ” geochemical changes ,” which, as he said, ” are normal .”
The Director of Research at the Athens Geodynamic Institute, Thanasis Ganas, in turn said on SKAI radio and ANT1:
“In my opinion, this possibility is excluded, because the fault that broke, the great fault of Amorgos, which is 52 km long and its end reaches, its southwestern end reaches near Anhidros, has been completely discharged . It has no energy to cause another earthquake .”
The Wednesday (5/2) morning itineraries of the ship ” Blue Star 1 ” for the Cyclades will not take place due to bad weather , as announced in this regard:
“We inform you that due to adverse weather conditions that are expected to prevail, tomorrow Wednesday 05.02.2025 the itinerary of the ship “Blue Star 1” with scheduled departure from Piraeus 07:25 to Paros 11:35-11:55, Naxos 12:45-13:00, Santorini 15:10, will not take place. Please contact your travel agent.”
