Marmara Sea has seismic gap: Expert

ISTANBUL

The seismic gap extending to 130 kilometers in the Marmara Sea constitutes one of the main causes of the expected major earthquake, experts warned at a meeting held on the anniversary of the deadly Feb. 6 earthquakes that shook 11 southern provinces.

In the evaluation meeting held at Boğaziçi University Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute, developments were explained and information about the expected Istanbul earthquake was presented.

"We observe around 50 earthquakes per day in the region. These earthquakes will continue for a while. We have 48 earthquakes between 5 and 5.9 magnitudes and three aftershocks between 6 and 6.9 magnitudes,” said Prof. Dr. Haluk Özener, the institute's director.

“It is clear that we will experience an earthquake above 7 magnitude in the Marmara Sea. According to some academics, this earthquake can happen very soon or not take place for another 50 years. But we know that there will be an earthquake here,” he said.

'Aftershocks to continue’

A seminar was organized by Atatürk University on the anniversary of the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes. Associate Professor Dr. Çağlar Özer reported that the Feb. 6 earthquakes last year were the second-largest after the 7.9-magnitude Erzincan earthquake in 1939.

“After the earthquakes, 50,000 earthquakes occurred only around Kahramanmaraş over the last year. Especially when we observe the last 120 years of earthquake activity in the region, there were only 400 earthquakes larger than 4 magnitude in and around Kahramanmaraş. It has been a year now and the shocks are still continuing in the region. It will continue for a while,” he said.