About two weeks have passed since the first devastating earthquakes in Turkey, but changes in the local landscape and unexplained natural phenomena still cause concern among locals and tourists. Panic moods are reinforced by a new earthquake that occurred today, February 21, and its echoes were felt even on the coast of Antalya.
According to the publication yeniasir, the attention of the public was attracted by the small resort town of Akyaka in the southwest of the country, in the province of Mugla. The city is located between two famous resorts of the Aegean – Bodrum and Marmaris.
“Tourists and locals, faced with a mysterious phenomenon, immediately began to photograph the bare seabed,” the newspaper writes. “Some even brought plastic chairs with them to sit right on the formed islands of land, and there was a lot of additional space for children to play and walk”.
Note that the periods from January to April and from September to November in this part of the Aegean Sea are considered the traditional time of low tides and many residents have long been accustomed to them and usually calmly relate to the natural phenomenon. However, a week ago the sea moved 15 meters away from the coastline, and today it is already 50 meters away, and the tide is still going on.
Such a rapid rate of water withdrawal frightened residents and tourists, many attributes this to the earthquakes that occurred. Turkish media turned to representatives of the scientific community.
“Changes in the level of our seas, tidal movements, changes in wind pressure vary depending on the effects of a tsunami that occurs after an earthquake. However, as a rule, these are tidal movements. They can change weekly, monthly, and yearly.
Depending on the position of the planets, the Moon, and the Earth, sometimes the effects can last longer, sometimes less,” Professor of the Faculty of Water Resources at Muğla University Sitka Kochman (MSKÜ), Dr. Cheykhun Ožcelik, said.
Thus, according to scientific data, large-scale earthquakes affect the movement of sea waves, causing tsunamis in the depths of the sea. Also, the direction of the tides is greatly influenced by the lunar phase and the movement of other celestial bodies.