The earthquake triggered a tsunami that destroyed several cities, including ancient Alexandria. Based on the results of recent research, existing earthquake prediction models may also need to be redesigned.
According to historical records, in the year 365 the Mediterranean was shaken by a massive earthquake that was estimated to be no less than 8 on the Richter scale.
The earthquake and subsequent tsunami killed tens of thousands of people and devastated Alexandria and several other cities in Egypt.
New research suggests that previous assumptions about a devastating earthquake may have been wrong, which could change today’s models of earthquakes and tsunamis in the region completely. ScienceAlert is a scientific journal.
Until now, it was thought that the Hellenic fall area under the island of Crete caused a massive earthquake, but the new findings indicate that ordinary farmers in the western and southwestern sides of Crete may be behind the large rise in the coastal parts. (A normal seed is when the direction of movement of the adjacent rock layers is the same as that of the plane of the seed, so here one plate does not slide completely under the other.)
Today, using radiocarbon dating, researchers can study how past shores have changed as a result of earthquakes.
Based on the current results, the beaches could rise by up to 9 meters during the study period, causing an enormous amount of marine life to dry up and die. These shells and other remnants are important clues in the reconstruction of events.
Researchers collected such dry coral remains at several points in Crete, which have been dated and used for historical earthquake modeling.
The results showed that a series of earthquakes caused earlier layers to appear in the sea, even before the legendary 365 earthquake, in the first century AD.
The new theory is also supported by other circumstantial evidence, according to the researchers, such as the abandonment of the ancient port, Valasarna, in AD. At 66.
Based on the results, existing earthquake prediction models also need to be re-designed. The Hellenic drop zone may be less dangerous, however, the many natural seedlings in the area can cause more serious problems than previously thought. Moreover, it is possible that the large earthquake 365 was not associated with the fallout region, but with normal receptors in the region.
The researchers are also planning more studies to get a more accurate picture of tectonic movements in the Mediterranean.
Cover photo illustration.
