Santorini, which has been experiencing an earthquake storm for about a month, was determined to be ready for an earthquake of magnitude 6 following underwater inspections conducted in the region. It was understood that the magma underwater exerted pressure on the upper layers, causing the recent earthquakes, with the situation likened to the desire to break the shell of an egg.

An article by Tania Georgiopoulou in Greece’s Kathimeri Newspaper presented expert opinions on the current situation in Santorini and its surroundings.

The article featured the views of seismologists Dimitris Papanikolaou and Kostas Papazachos.

Seismologist Kostas Papazachos explained the situation in the region, stating that there is pressure from magma on the crust of the Aegean Sea and that this magma is pushing the crust, saying, “Let us imagine it as an egg. The shell we live on is the crust of the Aegean Sea, and we can say that there is a hot substance in the egg white that wants to reach the surface in many places.”

Papazachos described the incident as “An unprecedented event we have never experienced before. We have not encountered a magma intrusion in the region that we could measure and monitor before.”

Describing the recent earthquakes as “Continuous tectonic earthquakes occurring in Greece. What we are investigating now is a different phenomenon related to magma intrusion, and that is why we call it tectono-magmatism,” he summarized.

Seismologist Dimitris Papanikolaou mentioned in his statements that a section of magma in the region was triggered for an unknown reason. The Greek seismologist explained the situation as follows:

“There is a sector composed of magmatic material near Anhidro at a depth of about 8-10 kilometers. This was triggered for an unknown reason and gets to the heart of the matter. However, this does not mean that it will be successful at this stage, because the crust of Anydros consists of very hard rocks. The stimulation of magma has combined with the existing tectonic forces in the region. So, the magma exerts pressure on faults and causes them to rupture.”

Papanikolaou pointed out that the most critical issue currently is, “How long will the magma pressure continue to create small to moderate earthquakes of a magnitude 5 on the Richter scale?” He raised the possibility of an earthquake of magnitude 6, stating, “If the Anydros fault, located next to other previously broken faults, also ruptures, an earthquake of magnitude 6, even possibly 6.1 on the Richter scale, will occur.”