Unfortunately, we have learned through many bitter experiences that our country is located on some of the most active fault lines in the world. As if that were not enough, countless disasters, especially floods, landslides and forest fires, constantly threaten our country. But we don’t even realize it, but there is another danger we face. volcanic eruptions. Yes, there are many active but dormant volcanoes in our country, such as Mount Erciyes.
Don’t worry, they won’t explode tomorrow, but just like an earthquake, we’re sure it will happen one day. Many people wonder whether active volcanoes, rather than actually erupting, will cause major earthquakes like the one on February 6, 2023. In fact, the hot water outflow seen in these volcanoes frightened those who heard about it.
Erciyes Mountain features: Location, altitude and volcanism
Mount Erciyes is a stratovolcano adjacent to the plains called Sultansazlığı, located in the southwestern region 25 kilometers away from Kayseri province. Mount Erciyes, which is estimated to have formed approximately 20 million years ago, is the highest mountain in our Central Anatolia region with its peak of 3917 meters. It covers a very large area of 3300 square kilometers.
Mount Erciyes is a staravolcano, that is, a volcano composed of hardened ash, tuff and ash layer. According to the Roman period coins, it is thought that Mount Erciyes last erupted in 253 BC. Mount Erciyes is a volcanic structure that is active but has been dormant for a long time.
Could Mount Erciyes wake up one day and explode?
As we have previously explained in full detail in our article here, there are 15 volcanoes in our country, 10 of which are active and 5 of which have the potential to become active. Technically, for a volcano to be considered active, it must have last erupted 10 thousand years ago. Since it has been a little over 2 thousand years since Mount Erciyes erupted, we can say that it is quite active.
According to the report of the research conducted jointly by TÜBİTAK and Bristol University, our country is the 14th most risky country among 95 countries with volcanic activity in the world. The probability of a volcanic eruption in our country by 2100 is over 70 percent. The reason why this rate poses a risk is that there are dense settlements around volcanic structures and therefore even a small eruption may have serious consequences.
Is there a connection between Mount Erciyes, an active volcano, and the February 6 earthquakes?
Unfortunately, the 7.8 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş, Pazarcık and Elbistan on February 6, 2023 caused us to lose tens of thousands of people. This earthquake, one of the biggest disasters our country has experienced, was followed by successive aftershocks and the damage increased to an incredible extent.
Shortly after the February 6 earthquakes, an interesting change was observed on Mount Erciyes. An outflow of water with temperatures reaching 86 degrees occurred around the mountain. Thereupon, everyone thought there was a connection between these two events, but there is no relationship. But there is indeed a relationship between hot water output and earthquakes.
How true is the rumor that volcanic activity started due to the release of hot water?
The existence of such a hot water outlet around Mount Erciyes immediately brought to mind the possibility of a volcano erupting and caused great concern. Making a statement on the subject, paleoseismology expert Prof. Dr. Ramazan Demirtaş said that the hot water outflow is extremely normal and is neither related to the volcano eruption nor the February 6 earthquakes.
According to Demirtaş, there were many small earthquakes with magnitudes ranging between 4.3 and 4.9 around Mount Erciyes between February 28 and March 10, 2023. Since the faults opened superficially, there was an outflow of hot water. It is known that such events are extremely normal as the secondary effects of earthquakes.
So when should we suspect a volcanic eruption?
Again, paleoseismology expert Prof. Dr. According to Ramazan Demirtaş, we do not need to worry about a volcano erupting immediately with a very large earthquake or a few small earthquakes. If thousands or even tens of thousands of micro-earthquakes occur in Mount Erciyes and its surroundings in a very short period of time, then the possibility of a volcano eruption may arise. However, just like earthquakes, it is not possible to know in advance when volcanoes will erupt.
What should we do if a volcano erupts in our country one day?
Statistics don’t lie. Maybe not tomorrow, but one day, there will definitely be a volcano eruption in our country. When that day comes, we must be prepared for it, just like every disaster. Preparing an emergency bag such as an earthquake bag is the first thing you should do because it may be impossible to reach basic needs at that time.
When such a disaster occurs, you should listen to the authorities. Because depending on the extent of the disaster, emergency evacuation may be required. As soon as the evacuation order comes, you should immediately take your emergency bag with you and move away from the area or go to areas directed by the authorities. Unlike the earthquake bag, you should have an N-95 mask in your emergency bag because during a volcano eruption, a terrible ash cloud covers everything.
In some cases, authorities do not evacuate but tell people to stay at home. You must strictly comply with this order and especially supplement plenty of water. If you need to go out, you should definitely wear outer clothing and take it off when entering the house. Because the ashes will stick to you. It is extremely important to protect your eyes from these ashes. Of course, in such a situation, do not forget to help those less fortunate than you.
We answered frequently asked questions such as whether Mount Erciyes, one of the active volcanoes in our country, will erupt one day and what is its connection with the February 6 earthquakes. No matter how big the disaster is, please do not forget to keep your cool and listen to science instead of false information.
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