Limpet fossil reveals earthquake-prone areas of Istanbul

ISTANBUL

A 10-million-year-old Miocene fossil limpet that was discovered some 15 years ago in Istanbul offers insight into the parts of the city that are most vulnerable to a potential large-scale Marmara earthquake, an expert has pointed out.

"The 10 million-year-old marine fossil strata from the Miocene epoch can be found in Istanbul's poorest earthquake-resistant areas. This stack, which stretches to Istanbul's Avcılar, Küçükçekmece, Bakırköy, Bağcılar, Esenler and Topkapı, reveals the weakest locations against earthquakes,” geologist Professor Dr. Şener Üşümezsoy said.

The fossil, also called the horn shell, belongs to the Serravallian age of the Miocene, according to Üşümezsoy. “Ten million years ago, the limestone formations along Istanbul’s coast were home to this species.”

Noting that sea limpets and dead mussels gradually form limestone, he further emphasized that the ancient shoreline where these fossils were found points to areas of Istanbul most vulnerable to earthquakes.

“Deposition of these sediments is connected to all those faults found on the northern margin of the Marmara Sea," he said, adding that from this angle, the primary fault in Istanbul with an earthquake risk of magnitudes 6 to 6.5 is the Kumburgaz fault line.

This remarkable limpet fossil was discovered by İrfan Akbaş and his son, Uğur Akbaş, during a building excavation, unaware of its significance until recently.

“We removed it from a 20-meter-deep excavation. Furthermore, several fossils were discovered within, but this was the sole fragment that we could remove without damaging the structure,” Uğur Akbaş said, recalling the moments of the discovery.

After this discovery, the family believed the fossil held no historical significance and placed it in a display case at home, admiring its aesthetic appeal.

However, Uğur Akbaş recently realized its significance after seeing comments from experts on social media, revealing it to be a remarkable fossil.

“I never thought it would be this old and attract so much attention. Possessing such a historical treasure feels great,” he said.