19.02.2025 14:12
Prof. Dr. Hasan Sözbilir, the Director of the Earthquake Research and Application Center at Dokuz Eylul University, gave a presentation on earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions at the İzmir Disaster Coordination Workshop. Highlighting recent events in the Aegean Sea, Prof. Dr. Sözbilir called for the inclusion of volcanic eruption hazards in İzmir's disaster risk plan.
Sözbilir conducted a presentation on earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions at the İzmir Disaster Coordination Workshop held at the Historical Gas Factory by the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality.
Stating that the natural disaster risks in İzmir are not limited to earthquakes and tsunamis, Sözbilir said, "All natural disasters observed in the world can also be effective in İzmir at certain times. Recently, a new type of disaster, the risk of volcanic eruption, has also emerged. We need to add volcanic eruptions to the İzmir Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Plan. We need to work on what kind of measures we can take in the event of a volcanic eruption." he stated.
"VOLCANIC ERUPTION AND TSUNAMI WILL OCCUR"
Sözbilir drew attention to the recent earthquakes in the Aegean Sea, noting that they occurred north of Santorini Island, and recorded the following:
"There are many volcanoes in this region. In the past, eruptions have occurred 5-6 times, followed by earthquakes and then tsunamis and volcanic eruptions. These are formed by the African plate diving under the Anatolian plate. This is an evolutionary process; as the subduction continues, there will be thousands of years of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis in the region."
Prof. Dr. Sözbilir mentioned that the eruption in Santorini around 1600 BC is estimated to have caused an earthquake of magnitude 6, and if the volcano erupts again, it will release a large amount of ash and gas into the atmosphere, which could lead to air pollution, damage to agricultural areas, and various environmental issues.
"WE HAVE HALF AN HOUR IN A TSUNAMI"
Sözbilir stated that a tsunami occurring in the Aegean Region could reach the shores in about half an hour, saying, "First, there is an earthquake, then a tsunami. They do not happen at the same time because the tsunami has a travel time. We will have at least half an hour. If we know what to do when a tsunami occurs, we will not face any problems. We need to move from the coast to inland, and upwards from sea level." he expressed.
"THERE NEEDS TO BE AN EARTHQUAKE MASTER PLAN"
İzmir Metropolitan Mayor Cemil Tugay also stated that the city needs to be made more resilient against natural disasters.
Tugay reported that İzmir does not yet have an earthquake master plan, but studies in this area are ongoing, and he noted:
"The October 30, 2020 İzmir Earthquake and the February 6, 2023 Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes have taught us important lessons. However, it is debatable whether we have been able to implement these lessons quickly enough. İzmir needs to have an earthquake master plan, and we are accelerating our efforts in this regard."
In the one-day workshop, planning related to earthquakes will be emphasized. New scenarios will be developed on topics such as infrastructure and logistics, coordination and communication, technological tools and data usage, humanitarian aid, and emergency response, while topics such as training, on-site and off-site applications, volunteer management, and support for disadvantaged individuals will be evaluated.