Since early February, the Greek island of Santorini has been hit by a swarm of earthquakes. While Greece is located in a region where earthquakes are relatively common, this intense, prolonged barrage is highly unusual. There have been several thousand earthquakes in the past few weeks with a magnitude of 1 or more, with some happening every few minutes. Most have been in the range of 3 to 5 on the Richter scale, but some have been as strong as 5.2 or 5.3.
The fault line causing these quakes is about 120 kilometers (75 miles) long. Only a portion of this fault is active right now, a portion that is roughly between the islands of Santorini (officially known as Thera) and Amorgos. The epicenters of these quakes are under the seabed. This is good for locals, because these quakes are usually less destructive than those that happen under land.
Unfortunately, however, these seabed earthquakes also have the potential to cause a tsunami.
A state of emergency was declared on Santorini on Feb 7, 2025, and tourists and almost all residents were evacuated several days after that. Some residents have remained, however (The New York Times recently reported that around 13,500 of the 15,000 residents have left). Anyone on the island right now has been dealing with the nonstop rattling, however, and a variety of experts have been dispatched, including psychologists, to help people deal with the problem. Teams of emergency medicine specialists are also on site.
On February 12, 2025, a state of emergency was also declared on the nearby island of Amorgos. These declarations help the Greek government mobilize resources to respond to the event.
Scientists are still trying to determine what's happening there, and whether a stronger earthquake might be on the horizon, if this is related to some volcanic event, or how long these earthquakes may continue.
There are seismologists and volcanologists studying the situation, and discussions are ongoing. A volcanic eruption is not expected, most experts have said. There is still a possibility of a larger eruption, however.
In 1956, a 7.7 earthquake in the area caused a tsunami that was about 20 meters (65-foot) high. There was major damage in Amorgos and Santorini and over 50 people were killed. Hopefully, nothing like that will happen this time and these earthquakes will stop before they cause serious damage or injury.
Sources: Phys.org via Associated Press, BBC
