Santorini Seismic Activity: A Terrifying 3-Hour Tremor on February 13

In a recent interview with ERT on March 23, 2025, Euthymios Lekkas, President of the Greek Institute of Geodynamics, revealed the extent of seismic activity that shook Santorini earlier this year. Over 20,000 earthquakes were recorded in just 25 days, raising concerns about potential volcanic activity both in the Caldera and at the underwater volcano of Kolombo. The most challenging day was February 13, when continuous seismic activity persisted for nearly four hours. During an episode on the ‘Newsroom’ program, Lekkas explained that scientists feared a possible earthquake of magnitude 6-6.5 on the Richter scale. He noted that this fear was based on solid evidence, which led to informing both political leadership and operational entities. On February 13, a glass on a table reportedly trembled for three hours straight, sparking fears of partial collapses in some areas. Fortunately, the situation eased quicker than anticipated. Additionally, Lekkas highlighted the challenges posed by thefts of monitoring stations, which cost €30,000 each and provide critical data. Addressing the ‘Earth Hour’ celebration, he emphasized the urgency of the climate crisis, noting it is more severe than initially predicted and already impacting our lives. He urged citizens to change wasteful habits, warning of future consequences if we fail to act responsibly.