In the last two days, 5 earthquake events have been recorded in the Caspian Sea. Specifically, the tremors in the Caspian Sea mainly occurred in our southern regions, namely Lankaran and Astara. In this context, questions arise regarding the cause of these tremors and whether additional tremors are expected.
In a statement to Modern.az regarding the issue, **Gulam Babayev**, head of department at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, stated that although the recording of consecutive earthquakes in the Caspian Sea area over the past two days has caused some concern, this process is mainly explained by natural geological factors.
"Although it may seem somewhat dangerous, overall, the Caspian Sea is considered a complex seismically active zone, and Azerbaijan is also located in a tectonically active region. For this reason, the occurrence of small and moderate magnitude earthquakes, which are often imperceptible, is considered normal.
The tremors observed in recent days occur at depths of 30-60 km. This means they occur in the deep layers of the Earth, where tectonic stress accumulates, and this stress is systematically and gradually released. This manifests itself in the form of several small or moderate magnitude earthquakes. The Caspian Sea is rich in tectonic faults and geological disturbances existing at depth. They are located at junctions close to each other. When these faults become more active, the area consequently becomes seismically active, and earthquakes occur".
G. Babayev also emphasized that the process we are observing here is in the form of a series, meaning it occurs sequentially:
"We call this an earthquake swarm. That is, these are not aftershocks occurring after a large earthquake; rather, they are the consecutive occurrence of several weak to moderate tremors in the same zone. This is precisely what we are currently observing in the Caspian Sea.
This may seem dangerous. However, the probability of a destructive, strong, catastrophic earthquake occurring in Azerbaijan is very low. Small earthquakes, known as micro-earthquakes, do occur. Perceptible earthquakes, however, are generally unavoidable. The probability of a destructive earthquake is also estimated to be low. When a seismic focus, a fault, becomes active and intensifies, an earthquake occurs. Naturally, at this time, neighboring faults also become active, and thus, a series of activity is generated".
The expert also added that there is a possibility of activation in neighboring foci:
"For example, if the activity in the Caspian Sea is close to the Lankaran-Talysh zone, there is a possibility that the Talysh seismic zone may also shake or tremble. This is because that zone also contains abundant faults and seismic foci. If we move north, Guba-Khachmaz, Siyazan, and Shabran are also areas rich in seismic foci. If a nearby focus shakes, neighboring foci can also be affected".
G. Babayev brought to attention that, overall, there is no basis for panic:
"Destructive, catastrophic earthquakes are generally not expected. However, perceptible earthquakes are unavoidable for Azerbaijan. The seismic landscape of the region indicates that perceptible earthquakes are unavoidable in Azerbaijan during the first 6 months of this year as well. There is also a possibility of neighboring foci shaking. For example, the Shamakhi-Ismayilli zone may also shake. The reason for this is the current activation of the Caspian Sea and the activation of interconnected foci," he noted.
