12-02-2025
Additional meters installed in Greece's Santorini as tremors continue
Scientists have installed more seismographs around Santorini as the Greek island continues to be rattled by small quakes, the head of the country's seismological service told broadcaster ERTNews on Wednesday.
Researchers have also retrieved two underwater seismographs to evaluate data, Efthimis Lekkas said.
"They will [...] provide valuable data on the exact epicentres of the earthquakes, and it will be possible to estimate the course of the seismic sequence more reliably," he said.
Seismographs are used to record waves and vibrations of the ground during earthquakes.
Santorini, a popular holiday island in the Aegean Sea, has been rattled by a series of mostly small tremors since late January.
Seismologists warn that the small quakes show no signs of stopping and could persist for weeks or months, with concerns that a magnitude 6 earthquake may strike before the activity subsides.
Numerous small and medium-sized tremors as well as a magnitude 5.0 earthquake were again recorded overnight but Lekkas said that a main quake of magnitude 6 or stronger has yet to occur.
Tremors of that magnitude could cause widespread damage and even tsunamis.
Scientists have installed a tide gauge on the north-east coast of the island facing the earthquake epicentres to monitor the water.
A large proportion of the island's inhabitants, mainly women, children and the elderly, have left Santorini and sought safety with relatives on the mainland.
