Tsunami Potential of Moderate Earthquakes: The July 1, 2009 Earthquake (Mw 6.45) and its Associated Local Tsunami in the Hellenic Arc

2019 
On July 1, 2009, a Mw 6.45 earthquake ruptured south of Crete Island (Greece) along the Hellenic Arc triggering a local tsunami. Eyewitness reported the tsunami from Myrtos and Arvi (south-eastern Crete) and from the north of Chrisi Islet, located to the southeast of Crete. The earthquake occurred offshore, about 80 km south of Crete, where routine earthquake locations are poor. The hypocentre is relocated using a 2-D velocity model and several local 1-D velocity models. Epicentral locations obtained by using the different velocity models show very minor variations. Instead, relocated hypocentres can be grouped into two sets of solutions: (1) those with a shallower depth (depth 25 km) either in the upper-plate or along the plate interface. Models accounting for either homogeneous or heterogeneous slip on the causative fault are tested, with the heterogeneous one better reproducing the observations in terms of number of tsunami waves reaching the shoreline and duration of the sea disturbance. The short travel time, about 10 min, of the first tsunami arrival at the southern coast of Crete represents a big challenge for tsunami early warning systems operating in the area.
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