If a tsunami occurs, it will threaten the whole region, said Turkish seismology professor Sukru Ersoy, commenting on the large earthquake off the coast of Cyprus this morning, noting, however, that it is not certain that such a thing will happen.
The quake affected Mersin, Adana and Antalya. The Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD), which recorded the quake at 6,4 on the Richter scale, said: "There are no negative reports about the quake, we are closely monitoring developments."
The Turkish seismology professor told him that there was a risk of a tsunami, noting that if this happened it would threaten the entire region. "It's a strong earthquake and we have to take it seriously," he said.
"There is also a possibility of a tsunami. Large waves can occur after earthquakes over 6 Richter. "But it is not certain," he said.
This earthquake, he added, "is probably a line that starts from Rhodes with a line East - West and goes to southeastern Anatolia via Antalya. This is not a surprise earthquake. "It's an expected earthquake."
Mr Ersoy also said that such a situation would affect the whole region. "She is coming a long way. The boot speed is too high. "It goes up as it comes to shore," he said. The tsunami, he explained, "is a coastal wave. If formed it will definitely come to our shores. "But I do not think it will be catastrophic."
According to him, "no tsunami may form in the next few hours".
"What I am afraid of is a 4500 meter pit in the section near Crete. "Earthquakes that can happen here can create a big tsunami," he said.
Source: KYPE