Osman Bektaş warns that active fault maps do not guarantee earthquake safety

Geology expert Prof. Dr. Osman Bektaş has issued a warning regarding the interpretation of active fault maps, stating that they should not be viewed as definitive earthquake maps. He emphasized that the absence of a fault line on a map does not guarantee a region is risk-free, as many faults remain undiscovered, unmapped, or located underwater.

Bektaş highlighted the phenomenon of "creep," where active faults move slowly and produce tremors smaller than magnitude 4.5. He noted that a fault does not need to have produced a major earthquake of magnitude 5.5 or higher to be considered active and potentially dangerous.

To illustrate the potential for significant seismic activity in unmapped or overlooked areas, Bektaş cited the 1968 Bartın earthquake, which reached a magnitude of 6.6 and was driven by the Black Sea Fault. He urged for continuous scientific updates to fault maps and increased public awareness regarding seismic risks, particularly along the Black Sea coast.