Tsunami worries rise as thousands of earthquakes rattle Santorini
Santorini has felt more than 80 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or stronger in the past week alone
More than a thousand earthquakes have rattled the Greek island of Santorini in recent days, raising concerns about the potential for a tsunami in the Mediterranean region.
Emergency officials in Israel reportedly met Wednesday to discuss the region’s tsunami risk in the coming days and weeks.
RELATED: Greece declares state of emergency on Santorini following 'near-constant' quakes
Tsunami risk grows with Greek earthquakes
Local officials declared a state of emergency and evacuated more than 10,000 residents and tourists from Santorini after days of near-constant shaking that's affected the volcanic island.
Thousands of small earthquakes have rattled the southern Aegean Sea since the end of January. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported more than 80 earthquakes measuring magnitude 4.5 or stronger between Feb. 1 and Feb. 6 alone.
These quakes could continue for days or even weeks to come, and there’s a chance they may serve as a precursor to a stronger event.
The barrage of temblors has raised alerts throughout the region. Government officials said this week that “Israel needs to begin preparations for the possible impact of a major tsunami,” according to a report Thursday from The Jerusalem Post.
Tsunamis can occur as a result of submarine earthquakes, landslides, and volcanic eruptions. Experts are particularly concerned about the potential for landslides around Santorini, one of which sliding into or beneath the sea could trigger a tsunami throughout the Mediterranean basin.
Greece is one of the most earthquake-prone countries on the planet, with several active fault lines running beneath the region. To address the tsunami threat, countries lining the Mediterranean are covered by an early warning system created in the aftermath of the Indian Ocean’s devastating Boxing Day tsunami in 2004.
Santorini created from a volcanic eruption
Located in southern Greece, the island of Santorini was once part of a large, circular volcano that erupted around 1600 BC in one of the largest such events in recorded history.
The volcanic episode 3,600 years ago, known as the Minoan eruption, likely ejected far more debris into the atmosphere than the devastating Krakatoa eruption in 1883.
Most of the island was destroyed in the Minoan eruption, leaving behind a lagoon lined with several smaller islands—including modern-day Santorini.
Contains files from Reuters and The Jerusalem Post.