There is no indication of increased seismic activity in Cyprus, Professor of Seismology at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Manolis Skordilis, told the Cyprus News Agency, who however noted that a strong earthquake can affect neighboring countries and wider areas.
According to Professor Skordilis, the Greek seismological networks “have not recorded any increased activity in Cyprus”, to add that no change in the level of seismicity has been observed either.
Speaking to KYPE, with on the occasion of last Monday's devastating earthquake in Turkey, Manolis Skordilis said that “it is difficult for anyone to accurately assess whether the earthquake in Turkey can affect Cyprus”.
However, he noted that “theoretically, because Cyprus is nearby, it could be affected”, adding that “it remains to be proven if there is such an effect”.
Professor Skordilis also stated that “an earthquake cannot -even if so large- to cause an earthquake in another area, unless there are faults in this area, which are mature, that is, they have a sufficiently increased stress field and are ready to manifest an earthquake, so they manifest it an hour earlier”.< /p>
In addition, he explained that when an earthquake occurs some area is “loaded” with stresses and another area is “relieved” of stresses.
“There has been no study so far that shows whether the in Turkey, a region has been stressed or freed from them”, he underlined.
When asked if any change in the level of seismicity in the Cyprus region has been observed, Mr. Skordilis said that from the Greek seismological networks there has been no some change was observed, explaining that a change would be seen if Cyprus recorded earthquakes of 5 Richter and above.
“Such earthquakes”, he said, “would show that we have some significant stimulation”.
As he said the case of an earthquake in the Cypriot area below 5 Richter “cannot show excitation”, noting that at the moment possible earthquakes in the Cypriot area below 5 Richter can be considered “a random event”, as it also happens in the area of Greece, due to high seismicity.
