Successive Earthquakes at Midnight in the Black Sea: Off the coast of Trabzon and Rize Shaken

Two separate earthquakes that occurred in the depths of the Black Sea during the night hours caused brief panic among the local population. The tremors, recorded a few hours apart off the coast of Trabzon's Çarşıbaşı district and Rize's İyidere district, were closely monitored by both AFAD and Boğaziçi Üniversitesi Kandilli Rasathanesi. Although the magnitudes of the earthquakes were low, their consecutive occurrence brought the seismic activity in the region back to the agenda. In the initial assessments made by authorities, it was shared that there was no loss of life or property. Citizens living in the region closely followed these small-scale tremors and waited for the statements of the authorized institutions.

The first earthquake occurred on 5 Temmuz 2026, at around 21.40.51. According to the data shared by Boğaziçi Üniversitesi Kandilli Rasathanesi, the magnitude of this tremor was measured as 2.7, and the rupture point of the earthquake was located 5.6 kilometers below the sea. The epicenter of the said earthquake was officially recorded as "Trabzon Açıkları (Karadeniz)". AFAD announced that it detected the same tremor seconds later, exactly at 21.40.55. According to AFAD's measurements, the magnitude of the earthquake was 2.3 (ML), while the focal point was located at a depth of 29.19 kilometers. AFAD data showed that the earthquake occurred approximately 48.61 kilometers off the coast of Rize's İyidere district.

For the local population who did not spend the night peacefully, the main concern increased with the second earthquake that occurred at midnight. The second tremor was recorded on 6 Temmuz 2026 at 00.30.53. Kandilli Rasathanesi announced that this new earthquake, experienced at midnight, had a magnitude of 2.4 and occurred again 5.4 kilometers deep under the seabed. This time, the epicenter of the earthquake was expressed specifically with its Karadeniz location. The fact that both earthquakes occurred at shallow depths allowed the tremors to be felt more clearly on land. The differences in magnitude and depth between Kandilli and AFAD data were evaluated as a natural consequence of different sensor networks and calculation methods.

The details shared by AFAD regarding the second earthquake, which occurred at midnight, contained minor differences with the Kandilli data. AFAD stated that it measured this tremor at 00.30.56, that is, seconds after Kandilli's detection. According to the institution's data, the magnitude of the earthquake was calculated as 2.1 (ML), while the rupture point of the earthquake was located 6.06 kilometers below the sea. The location of the second earthquake was detected as approximately 30.60 kilometers off the coast of Trabzon's Çarşıbaşı district. These successive tremors that occurred under the waters of the Black Sea revealed the activity of local fault lines in the Karadeniz extensions of the Kuzey Anadolu Fay Hattı. Experts remind that such small-magnitude earthquakes are not harbingers of major disasters, but that the geological structure of the region is dynamic.

This seismic activity experienced throughout the night was overcome without any negative consequences. According to initial determinations, no situations such as structural damage, injuries, or abnormal fluctuations in sea level were reported in the region. Citizens residing on the coasts of Trabzon and Rize stated that they felt momentary panic due to the consecutive tremors, even though they were small-scale. The public, who followed the developments via social media and local news sources, stated that they were pleased with the transparent data sharing of AFAD and Kandilli. Such events once again underscored the importance of disaster awareness in Turkey, where the earthquake country is constantly on the agenda. Authorities invite citizens to only take into account information from official institutions and not to rely on unfounded claims.