Week Two: Greece and the Techtonic Plates

 Greece

        Tectonic plates play a major role in the natural hazard potential of Greece. Greece is located atop a smaller tectonic plate called the Aegean Sea plate. This specific plate is very small but it connects with a much larger plate, the African Plate, just south of the southernmost Greek island, Crete. These two plates meet at a subduction zone. 

Not only does the African and Aegean plates effect Greece, but the African plate also meets another major plate, the Eurasian plate. This meeting spot is deep beneath the Mediterranean sea. The boundary is convergent, causing the African plate to slowly subduct underneath the Eurasian plate.

Adriatic and Aegean Plates - Eurasian TectonicsAnatolian Plate - Wikipedia


Due to the major plates in the surrounding area, and the smaller Aegean plate being the home of Greece, the movement of the tectonic plates makes Greece extremely susceptible to Earthquakes. In Ancient Greece they believed that the frequent Earthquakes were the work of Poseidon, but as science advanced, the blame shifted to the nearby tectonic plates causing increased seismic activity. The latest Earthquake in Greece was actually very recent as it took place two hours and three minutes before my writing this.


Seismic activity in Greece (source: www.geophysics.geol.uoa.gr). | Download Scientific Diagram

Earthquake map of Greece. 


Source of information: National Geographic

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/greece-and-turkey-earthquake-driven-by-wild-tectonics-of-aegean-sea#:~:text=The%20many%20shifting%20tectonic%20plates,of%20Izmir%20back%20in%201688. 


Comments

  1. Ana GGFebruary 6, 2023 at 10:08 AM

    Very interesting research. I am curious what you'll find out next week when we discuss earthquakes!

    ReplyDelete

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