DOOMSDAY PREPPERS
Europe tsunami fears as navies hold ‘Mighty Waves’ drills for doomsday mega-quake killing thousands in the Mediterranean
EUROPE has been gearing for a killer tsunami in the Mediterranean with a massive rescue drill and plans are underway to monitor parts of the seabed for underwater earthquakes.
Ten leading navies have just carried out a surprise drill aimed at dealing with rescuing injured people should a quake spark a killer tidal wave that engulfs coastal communities.
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The Sun Online has also learned scientists are planning to monitor key sections of the Mediterranean seabed to help tsunami warning centres detect signs of off-shore earthquakes.
The four day military drill was called “Mighty Waves” and took place last week, involving ships and planes from Israel, US, France, and Greece.
Based in Israel's Haifa port, the exercise responded to a simulated 7.0-magnitude earthquake that would kill thousands and make tens of thousands more homeless.
It simulated rescuing and collecting the injured and how to find victims in tsunami-hit areas.
It comes as the Greek island of Crete was today struck by its third tremor in two weeks, underlining the seismic activity in Southern Europe.
The most vulnerable parts of the Mediterranean is ultimately prone to underwater earthquakes.
In the past resulting tsunamis have killed thousands.
The worst ever one was recorded in the year 365AD, when an undersea quake of a magnitude 8 caused a huge tidal wave.
This destroyed ancient cities in Greece, Italy and Egypt, killing some 5000 people in Alexandria alone and surging as far as the Nile Delta.
On average, a significant tsunami hits the Mediterranean Sea roughly once every 100 years.
The last big one was 1908 an earthquake of magnitude of about 7.0 which hit the Messina region in Italy, causing an enormous tsunami that killed thousands.
NEW PLANS TO MONITOR SEABED FOR QUAKES
But British Geological Survey (BGS) seismologist Margarita Segou told The Sun Online the risk today remains all too real.
She said: “If something has happened before it is possible for it to happen again.”
With this in mind the BGS is planning to join an international scientific consortium, with the aim of finding what would cause the quake that may spark the next killer tsunami.
This could involve monitoring key spots 13,000ft below the sea between Italy and Greece where continental plates collide, using technology that can pick up tell tale signs of an off-shore earthquake, such as a changes in sea pressure.
Dr Segou said: “By understanding the process then you can make a model and data and provide it to [tsunami]warning centres.”
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As reported, Crete has been hit by three earthquakes, including one this morning, in the past fortnight.
And this came after a massive earthquake rocked western Turkey — just 60 miles from a tourist spot popular with Brits.
But Ms Segou said there was nothing to suggest these quakes signalled bigger ones were on the way.
Moment Greek holiday island of Crete rocked by 5.3 magnitude tremor
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