Two weeks after a series of devastating earthquakes in Turkey, any natural change in the country is viewed with alarm. Now the attention of the public has been drawn to a resort town in the southwest in the province of Mugla, where the Aegean Sea immediately receded by 50 meters. Whether this event is a harbinger of an earthquake, experts from Kochman University explained.
According to NTV, it is about the coast of the town of Akyaka in the Ula district (Mugla province), located between two large resorts of the Aegean Sea – Bodrum and Marmaris. Tourists and the local population photographed the mysterious retreat of the seashore, some of them brought plastic chairs with them to effectively take pictures of the islets of land that unexpectedly formed.
According to residents, exposure to the seabed occurred for the second time this week. However, it surprises them, because low tides occur at the same time every year. Now is the time for this phenomenon. But not everyone trusts this explanation. Representatives of science joined the issue.
Thus, Associate Professor of the Department of Basic Sciences in Aquaculture at Mugla Sitka Koçman University (MSKÜ), Dr. Mustafa Bahadir Oonsoy, made a relevant statement in which he indicated that sea level fluctuations are the result of the influence of the tidal forces of the Moon and the Sun, that is, the ebb tide caused the retreat of seawater along the coast. “Although tides are mainly caused by the gravitational forces of the Moon and Sun on Earth, atmospheric pressure differences, storms and the size of the body of water can also play a role in water outflow. To understand the tidal pattern of the region with high accuracy, it is necessary to spend at least 16 years of observations,” he explained.
As for the possible connection between water level fluctuations and a potential earthquake, the scientist cited the lack of scientific evidence that such a change is a harbinger of an earthquake, although he confirmed that after tremors in the seas or on the coast it is indeed sometimes possible to observe sudden changes in the water level .
“However, I want to draw your attention to the fact that this event takes place after the earthquake, and not before it. According to our scientific knowledge, the interpretation of water drainage and its rise as a harbinger of an earthquake would be incorrect and cause people to worry in vain,” the specialist reassured the public. According to him, the sea level should recover within a few days.
Reference: Akyaka is a resort town located at the foot of Sakartepe Mountain in the picturesque Hekova Bay. Tourists who prefer a calm and measured rest come here. There are no large hotels and noisy tourist groups in Akyak, instead, the town is built with charming white houses no higher than two stories and is cut by narrow streets that wind up and down.