Fifteen aftershocks measuring from 1.3 to 2.9 on the Richter scale occurred in the area of Stamata in North-East Athens in the next twelve hours, after the 4.5R that stroke short after 10 p.m. with a powerful tremor due to the focal depth of just 5 km.
The earthquake does not cause concern to seismologists who reassure that the fault line in the area has not triggered major earthquakes in the past.
According to the Greek Geodynamic Institute, the earthquake was 4,4 Richter with it epicenter in Stamata, 24 km northeast of Athens. 15 smaller vibrations followed, with the highest of 2.9 and 2.5 degrees.
Earthquake Planning and Protection Organization Chairman Efthimios Lekas said the tremor was the continuation of the small-scale earthquakes cluster of January 9, stressing that the tectonic structures of the area are small to cause a big earthquake.
On January 9th, 25 low intensity earthquakes occurred in the area within 24 hours.
Akis Tselentis, director of the Geodynamic Institute of the Athens Observatory, said we should not expect more major earthquakes, however, the phenomenon needs to be monitored. He said he was 90% sure that was the major earthquake. Tselentis also said that they were expecting an earthquake as the radon detectors had detected a small quantity of radon.
It is believed that radon gasses are released from cavities and cracks as the Earth’s crust is strained prior to the sudden slip of an earthquake. Researchers deploy detector devices along a fault line in order to be able to predict earthquakes. In order to test this hypothesis, however, researchers would need to deploy several hundred detector devices along a fault zone.
If the aftershocks activity stops, possibility is high for another earthquake of the same magnitude, Tselentis stressed.
Also, the director of Research Department of the Geodynamic Institute Giorgos Chouliaras did not exclude the possibility of another earthquake more or less of the same magnitude.
Three earthquakes occurred also in the central Aegean Sea, in the sea area of the Cyclades group, on Monday night.
21:45 pm: 2.1R, epicenter North of Syros island.
23:14 pm: 3.7R epicenter 18km North of Santorini island.
23:36 pm: 3.3R epicenter South of Santorini.
An hour before the tremor in Athens on Monday, a 4.4R occurred 23 South of Kalavryta in Peloponnese.
There has been a seismic activity in the last weeks across Greece.
One should note that several seismological institutes make different measurements.
