Wednesday 25 October 2017

Magnitude 4.6 Earthquake off the Bodrum Peninsula.

The United States Geological Survey reported a Magnitude 4.6 Earthquake at a depth of 10 km about 8 km southwest of the the Bodrum Peninsula, Turkey, slightly after 12.35 pm local time, slightly after 10.35 pm GMT, on Tuesday 24 October 2017. There are no reports of any damage or casualties associated with this event, but it was felt both on Bodrum and the Greek islands of Kos and Rhodes.

The approximate location of the 24 October 2017 Bodrum Earthquake. USGS.

The Bodrum Peninsula lies on the boundary between the Anatolian Plate, to the north, the Aegean Sea Plate (underlying the Peloponnese, Attica, The Cyclades Islands, Crete, the Dodecanese Islands and Turkey to the southeast of the Taurus Mountains) to the west and the African Plate to the south. Northern Greece and the north coast of Turkey lie on the Eurasian Plate. Both countries are highly prone to earthquakes because of this.

To the east the Arabian Plate  is being pushed north and west by the movement of the African Plate, further to the south. This leads to a zone of tectonic activity within the province, as the Arabian and Anatolian plates are pushed together, along the East Anatolian Fault, and past one-another, along the Dead Sea Transform.

This movement also leads to a zone of faulting along the northern part of Turkey, the North Anatolian Fault Zone, as the Anatolian Plate is pushed past the Eurasian Plate, which underlies the Black Sea and Crimean Peninsula  (transform faulting). This is not a simple process, as the two plates constantly stick together, then break apart as the pressure builds up, leading to Earthquakes, which can be some distance from the actual fault zone.

The Aegean Sea Plate is moving southwest with regard to the Eurasian and Anatolian Plates, and being subducted beneath the African Plate to the south. Its margin with the Eurasian Plate is a divergent and a transform margin at different points. This is not a smooth process, with rocks tending to stick together, then being forced to move as the pressure builds up, typically in stops and starts that lead to Earthquakes.

 Simplified map of the plate movements of the eastern Mediterranean. Univeriteit Utrecht.

Witness accounts of Earthquakes can help geologists to understand these events, and the structures that cause them. The international non-profit organisation Earthquake Report is interested in hearing from people who may have felt this event; if you felt this quake then you can report it to Earthquake Report here. 

See also...

http://sciencythoughts.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/magnitude-51-earthquake-beneath-western.htmlhttp://sciencythoughts.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09/magnitude-49-earthquake-of-southeast.html
http://sciencythoughts.blogspot.co.uk/2017/07/magnitude-67-earthquke-between-kos-and.htmlhttp://sciencythoughts.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/magnitude-50-earthquake-in-izmir.html
http://sciencythoughts.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/magnitude-56-earthquake-in-adyaman.htmlhttp://sciencythoughts.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/magnitude-52-earthquake-off-northwest.html
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