Ahmet Yakut: ‘After Afyon, we can now talk about Bigadiç and Sındırgı’

Earthquake Researcher Ahmet Yakut drew attention to Balıkesir after the 4.4 magnitude earthquake that occurred in Afyonkarahisar this morning. Yakut stated that the next rupture could occur in Balıkesir’s Bigadiç or Sındırgı districts.

Following the 4.4 magnitude earthquake centered in Afyonkarahisar this morning, Earthquake Researcher Ahmet Yakut made statements on social media platforms. Yakut said, ‘Could there be a major earthquake after this earthquake? There is still a risk in the unreleased points in that region. However, I do not have a clear indication of a significant change in my hands. It seems like the region will complete the process and be dampened by aftershocks. Of course, the region is an important fault. For example, after the Çay or Sultandağı earthquakes, the area extending from Konya Akşehir to Balıkesir Savaştepe, which we call the Akşehir Fault Zone, is an important area. After the Gediz earthquake in 1970, this fault is expected to produce an earthquake between 5.5 and 6. The Sındırgı-Bigadiç line in this region may have become more important after today’s earthquake. It is necessary to pay attention to this. As I mentioned, an earthquake between 4.5 and 5.8 may occur in the future. This won’t happen immediately, it will appear in the further future. Systematically, we have long historical intervals or inventories available. The Fethiye-Burdur fault zone inevitably taught us the inward acceleration. Both deep earthquakes in the Mediterranean and deep and shallow earthquakes occurring off the coast of the twelve islands showed us that the Mediterranean floor advancing under Anatolia is exerting pressure from Antalya up to Eskişehir. After the Sultandağı and Çay earthquakes in 2000 and 2002, along with the Afyon center and the Konya Doğanhisar extension, especially Balıkesir Sındırgı, Bigadiç, Savaştepe, these parts might be affected by the pressure. It seems to have become significant.