NEWS CENTER - Adana and Osmaniye were shaken by earthquakes yesterday. Three separate earthquakes occurred in two cities within 24 minutes. According to AFAD's statement, the first earthquake with a magnitude of 4.8 occurred in Adana's Saimbeyli district at 14.19. Following the earthquake, whose depth was measured as 7.99 kilometers, another earthquake with a magnitude of 4.9 occurred in the same region at 14.36. At 14.43, a 5.2 magnitude earthquake occurred centered in Osmaniye's Sumbas district. The depth of the earthquake was measured as 7 kilometers. Tremors were also felt in some parts of Kahramanmaraş, Mersin, Gaziantep, Kilis and Osmaniye. At 19:00 in the evening, Adana was shaken for the third time. The 4.4 magnitude earthquake, whose epicenter was in Saimbeyli, occurred at a depth of 7 kilometers underground. He stated that according to the initial findings, there was no negative situation.
No loss of life
Adana Governor Mustafa Yavuz stated that AFAD, gendarmerie and district teams continued their scanning efforts in the region after the earthquakes and said that no negative situation information has been received so far. Stating that the earthquakes occurred in a rural area, Yavuz stated that the villages were also scanned. Osmaniye Governor Mehmet Fatih Serdengeçti also announced that field scanning continues. Minister of Internal Affairs Mustafa Çiftçi said, "There is no negative situation as of now." Minister of Health Kemal Memişoğlu also announced that no negative effects have been reported to the ministry units so far. Murat Kurum, Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, stated that the developments were followed closely and all reports were evaluated, although no negative situation was reported. Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran said, "All our relevant institutions and organizations are meticulously continuing their screening and situation determination studies in the field." AK Party Spokesperson Ömer Çelik stated that no negative effects have been detected so far and noted that there was no damage to the schools.
What do the experts say? 'It may last like a storm'
Dokuz Eylül University Earthquake Research and Application Center Director Prof. Dr. Hasan Sözbilir stated that after the February 6, 2023 Ekinözü earthquake, hundreds of earthquakes reaching magnitude 5 occurred from the south of Göksun towards Kozan-Kadirli. Sözbilir said that the Saimbeyli and Savrun faults were considered as faults with energy accumulation after the February 6 earthquakes, and stated that earthquakes of similar magnitude could continue "in the form of an earthquake storm". Sözbilir emphasized that citizens should not panic and follow the instructions of the competent authorities.
'Must be followed'
Prof. Dr. Osman Bektaş stated that 4-5 magnitude earthquakes have occurred in the region since 2023 and that this shows that the fault is slowly draining its energy. Stating that the Savrun fault exhibits a different behavior than the Kahramanmaraş earthquakes, Bektaş stated that the activity that started with the 4.8 magnitude earthquake and increased to 5.2 should be followed. Bektaş said that a large earthquake should not be expected compared to the past, but there is a possibility of a magnitude 6 earthquake.
Separate earthquakes
Earthquake scientist Prof. Dr. Okan Tüysüz stated that the 3 earthquakes were separate earthquakes and their centers differed somewhat. Stating that seismic activity in the region may continue for a while, Tüysüz stated that it is not possible for earthquakes of magnitude 4, 4.5 and 5 to trigger major earthquakes.
Prof. Dr. Şener Üşümezsoy stated that there are many faults intersecting each other in the region and that many earthquakes may occur for this reason. Üşümezsoy stated that many earthquakes have occurred in the region since February 6 and stated that whether the mobility in the environment will cause a larger fault to break depends on the structure of the faults.
Earthquake expert Prof. Dr. Şükrü Ersoy stated that there are faults in the north of Adana that can produce more than 6 earthquakes and emphasized that it is not possible to make a definitive assessment saying "It will come after this".
Earthquake scientist Dr. Ramazan Demirtaş stated that approximately 190 earthquakes with magnitudes between 4 and 5.9 occurred in the region after the February 6 earthquakes. Demirtaş said that the rupture process did not end immediately after the 7.6 magnitude earthquake and that it could take 3 to 5 years, and that it is not possible for the current tremors to trigger other major faults.
Earthquake scientist Prof. Dr. Övgün Ahmet Ercan stated that it would not be surprising for earthquake scientists if a larger earthquake occurred, but there was no scientific data to warn that "a big earthquake is coming". Ercan also said that the seismological network in the region should be tightened. Ercan stated that the destructiveness threshold is 6.3-6.4 magnitude.
