Lake Balaton can be hit by earthquake at any time

Türkiye and Syria were hit by the most severe earthquakes in recent times. Seeing this massive disaster, people all over the world were left wondering how safe they were in their own countries. The Earth’s tectonic plates are, naturally, in constant motion, and there are plenty of small earthquakes in the world every day that can only be detected by seismometers. But certain regions are more likely to experience severe earthquakes.

Likebalaton.hu asked geologist Gábor Árvai about the risk of earthquakes in Hungary, and in particular in the region of Lake Balaton.

Constantly growing Balaton Highlands

According to Árvai, the deep structure of the Tapolca Basin in Hungary is full of fault lines. Although many might think that the area studded with mountains is the result of volcanism, the expert stressed that this was not the case. He explained that the deep structure began to form 18 million years ago. Then the massif of Keszhely Mountains shifted, and between them and the Bakony Mountains, tensional stress occurred, causing the Tapolca Basin to sink. According to the expert, this kind of arrangement means that there is a high risk of earthquakes in the area. He said that the Balaton Highlands and the Bakony were still growing today, while the region of Somogy was sinking.

The geologist also mentioned that there had been a small earthquake in Tapolca recently. Although residents could have hardly felt anything, he said it was fortunate that the quake was not more intense as there was a high chance for it to happen.

Although earthquakes as intense as the last one in Türkiye and Syria are not expected,

an earthquake of magnitude 4.5-5 is possible at any time in the region,

he stressed.

This level means that the earthquake cannot cause considerable damage. In this case, it is only the chandelier that is swinging, and possibly the furniture that may be shaking.

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Hundreds of earthquakes every year in Hungary

Although there are hundreds of earthquakes in Hungary every year, most of them are only detected by seismographs and are not felt by the people living there. The geologist explained that there were still some sensitive points in the country apart from the Tapolca Basin. The most potential earthquake-prone areas in Hungary are the Mór Trench and the area between Vértes and Bakony. He added that the area between Komárom and Székesfehérvár was also one of the most vulnerable areas to earthquakes. However, he reassured the readers that a quake as intense as the most recent one is unlikely to occur in Hungary.