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More than 200 injured, but almost no material damage. The latest earthquake does not seem to have seriously affected Istanbul. But researchers expect more severe aftershocks soon.
After the strong earthquake that hit Istanbul, scientists believe that more aftershocks could follow.
"There are currently two scenarios: either the immediate region where the earthquake occurred has been relaxed for now and the seismic situation is slowly calming down, or the redistribution of the seismic stress created by the earthquake will increase the possibility of a larger earthquake in the region. We are following and monitoring seismic developments in the region very closely," said Marco Bohnhoff, a researcher at the Helmholtz Centre for Geodesy (GFZ).
Region with special risk
The current earthquake was the strongest in more than 25 years in the region. According to the GFZ, the first quake had a magnitude of 6.2 and was at a depth of about ten kilometers, about 60 kilometers west of Istanbul in the Sea of Marmara. Just 13 minutes later, the ground shook again, this time with a magnitude of 5.3 at a distance of about 40 kilometers. The tremors were also felt in Greece and Bulgaria.
According to scientists, the second earthquake shows that the stresses have shifted. This makes further tremors more likely. According to the Turkish Interior Ministry, more than 120 seismic aftershocks were recorded.
Two tectonic plates meet near Istanbul
According to experts, the region around the Sea of Marmara near the city of Istanbul, with a population of about one million, has one of the most dangerous geological structures in the world: two tectonic plates meet there - the Eurasian plate and the Anatolian plate.
The area under the Sea of Marmara south of Istanbul is the only sector of the tectonic plate boundary that has not generated a major earthquake in more than 250 years. Experts have long assumed that Istanbul will be shaken sooner or later by an earthquake with a magnitude of around 7./ DW
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