At 2:00 seismic tremors that occurred earlier on Saturday, June 20, off the off the coast of Crete, the Director of Research at the Geodynamic Institute, Athanasios Ganas, commented.
“The second tremor, measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale, was the strongest, and for this reason, a precautionary inspection should be conducted on the old houses in Gavdos, Sfakia, and the areas of southern Rethymno,” he stated, noting that the tremors occurred along the same fault line and measured 4.7 and 5.3 on the Richter scale, respectively.
“At this time, we have no reports of damage, but the recommendation for inspections is purely a precautionary measure,” he told ERT News. “We had two seismic tremors east of Gavdos. The first earthquake occurred at 12:31 p.m. Greek time and had a magnitude of 4.7 on the Richter scale. Six minutes later, a 5.3-magnitude earthquake followed, which occurred along the same fault line,” he noted.
The seismic tremors occurred along the same fault and at the same epicenter
When asked about the epicenter of the seismic tremors, he stated that both events originated from the same fault and the same epicenter, while their focal depth is estimated to be shallow, at approximately 15 km, which classifies them as relatively shallow tremors.
According to the same source, near Gavdos there are active faults capable of generating earthquakes of this magnitude. Regarding the major fault in the Ptolemaic Trench, he noted that it is located approximately 25 kilometers further south. Responding to a question about whether there were any signs of danger, he stated that last week there were no indications foreshadowing increased seismic activity in the Gavdos area.
Regarding whether a larger earthquake is expected, Mr. Ganas was cautious: “We cannot yet say with certainty that the 5.3-magnitude earthquake was the mainshock. We need more data.” However, in an effort to reassure residents, he emphasized that “earthquakes of a similar magnitude have been recorded in the area in the past. Magnitudes close to 5 on the Richter scale are common for this specific region and are nothing out of the ordinary.”
