Is a tsunami in the forecast for Greece? Presenting his findings at the Annual Meeting of the Seismological Society of America (SSA) on April 19 in San Diego, German geologist Klaus Reicherter said that this is a highly likely event and it should be expected soon! The Professor for Neotectonics and Natural Hazards at the RWTH Aachen University in Germany said he basis his theory on centuries-old sources such as 5th century B.C historian Herodotus (484 BC – 425 BC) and on the findings of excavations in the village of ancient Potidaea in Northern Greece. In fact he said that a tsunami should be expected very soon in this region with tides that reach as much as 3-5 meters.
The history books tell us that a tsunami was the savior of Potidaea In the winter of 479 B.C drowning hundreds of Persian invaders as they lay siege to the ancient Greek village.
New geological evidence suggests that the region may still be vulnerable to such catastrophes and Reicherter and colleagues have added to the story by sampling sediments on the Possidi peninsula in northern Greece where Potidaea (and its modern counterpart, Nea Potidea) is located.
The sediment cores apparently showed signs of "high-energy" marine events like significant waves, and excavations in the suburbs of the nearby ancient city of Mende have uncovered a high-energy level dated to the 5th century B.C. The Mende layer contains much older marine seashells that were probably scoured from the ocean bed and deposited during a tsunami.
Earthquake forecast modeling in the North Aegean Basin near the peninsula suggests that future earthquakes in the area could produce significant tsunami waves, although the area is not included currently in the ten "tsunami" prone regions of Greece. However, the geologists note that their new findings suggest the Thermaikos Gulf where the peninsula is located should be included in tsunami hazard calculations, especially since the area is densely populated and home to many holiday resorts.
Posts
