‘Seismic storm’ continues to shake quake-prone town of Sındırgı

BALIKESİR

A 4.4 magnitude earthquake struck the northwestern city of Balıkesir’s Sındırgı district early on Jan. 26, as a prolonged series of earthquakes, described by experts as a “seismic storm,” continues to affect the region.

This latest earthquake came amid heightened seismic activity in Sındırgı, which has experienced repeated moderate earthquakes since the two 6.1-magnitude earthquakes in August and October last year.

On Jan. 25, the district was shaken by a 5.1 magnitude quake following a series of tremors measuring 4.5, 4.4 and 4.1 earlier in the week.

Professor Dr. Hasan Sözbilir, head of Dokuz Eylül University’s earthquake research center, told daily Hürriyet the latest 5.1 magnitude quake had significantly reduced accumulated stress along the fault system beneath Sındırgı.

Field studies conducted after the main quakes in the town led researchers to identify a multi-segment active fault system, named the Emendere Fault Zone, stretching up to 40 kilometers south of the district.

Sözbilir noted that earlier earthquakes ruptured western segments of the fault, while subsequent aftershocks migrated southeastward.

“From this stage onward, we expect continued aftershock activity in the form of an ‘earthquake storm,’” the expert said, urging residents to closely follow official warnings

The term “earthquake storm,” or “seismic storm,” refers to a pattern involving frequent earthquakes over an extended period rather than a single main shock followed by a gradual decline.

Since August, the region has recorded more than 25,000 aftershocks, many exceeding magnitude 4.0.