The Middle East Technical University (METU) Monday released a preliminary report on the recent earthquake that hit southern Türkiye, revealing that the significant twin tremors caused small-amplitude tsunamis in some regions.
The report, titled “Iskenderun Bay Coastal Structures and Tsunami Assessments in the Eastern Mediterranean,” said that the tsunamis were observed with a height of 17 centimeters (7 inches) in Famagusta (Gazimağosa) in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), 14 centimeters in Arsuz in the Hatay province and Erdemli in the Mersin province, and 10 centimeters in Girne (Kyrenia) in the TRNC.
The METU prepared the report in collaboration with the Boğaziçi University Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute, the Athens Academy and Southern California University.
The study revealed that the tsunamis on the coasts of Arsuz took place in the 25th minute, while Erdemli experienced them in the 33rd minute. It was in the 65th minute in Famagusta, while Girne faced it in the 48th minute.
Professor Ahmet Cevdet Yalçıner, a member of the METU’s research team on earthquakes and engineering who led a group of researchers on the report, stated that the occurrence point of the tsunami was a location north of Hatay’s Samandağ district and south of the village of Galinoporni (Kaleburnu) on Cyprus.
Yalçıner emphasized the importance of providing citizens with reliable information about earthquakes, saying that explaining how they will happen and what precautions should be taken is crucial, rather than just urging people to take precautions.
The professor also stressed the importance of examining the mechanism of tsunamis to understand the formation of sea movements. He noted that it is challenging to see faults in the sea as we see on land, and predicting future events from the action on the seafloor is critical to understanding what is on the seafloor.
Yalçıner also mentioned the 6.4 magnitude earthquake in Hatay and expressed his concerns about whether the fault continues in the sea. He stated that it is essential to find this information to be prepared and warned for such situations in the future.
“Now, we are trying to find out if there’s a threat heading toward the sea or south of Latakia (a port city of Syria),” he said.
Yalçıner emphasized the need to investigate critical areas on the seafloor and determine where and what kind of mass movement occurs if a particular activity is observed in the sea.
