Analysis of historical tsunami records on the Aegean coasts of Türkiye and the seismic sources that cause them

Tsunami; It can be defined as a "seismic sea wave" in the sea triggered by natural events such as earthquakes, submarine landslides and in-sea volcanic activity. A tsunami wave, formed by a major earthquake, volcano or landslide under the sea floor and reaching a speed of 1000 km per hour, floods the land after a certain time, causing significant loss of life and economic losses in coastal countries. Due to its geological location, Türkiye is under the influence of all three natural phenomena. For this reason, there is a tsunami danger and risk in the Black Sea, Aegean, Mediterranean and Marmara Sea, which borders Türkiye on 3 sides. Historical earthquake records before 1900 document that tsunamis developed in all four seas. In this context, historical tsunami records developed under the influence of the Hellenic subduction zone (HDBZ), which forms the border of the Anatolian plate and the African plate, were studied. This subduction zone, which is up to 1600 km long, has caused earthquakes called mega earthquakes (Mw>8) in historical records, and tsunamis have occurred in these earthquakes, causing loss of life and property. 2017 Midilli and Gökova, October 30, 2020. The earthquake that occurred in Bayraklı district of İzmir province at 14.51 and the subsequent tsunami incident in Sığacık Bay, which resulted in the death of 1 person. After the earthquake danger coming from the seas, I wonder when, at what intervals, the tsunamis that occurred on the Aegean coasts in historical periods, It raises questions such as where and with what intensity it occurred. In order to find answers to these questions, all accessible primary sources were re-scanned and a tsunami hazard catalog was prepared for the Aegean coasts. According to historical catalogues, the highest tsunami runup height 2 meters on July 3, 1949, and the tsunami inundation 200 meters on October 6, 1944. Parameters for marine and terrestrial shallow normal faults, where most of the strong earthquakes (Mw >6.5) in the region are potential tsunami sources, are tabulated and mapped. The tsunami recurrence period of approximately 50-150 years, which affects the coasts of Türkiye, increases towards the southwest from İzmir, and an intensity range between 3 and 8 was determined according to the 12-scale intensity scale. It is necessary to map marine faults, investigate paleotsunami traces on land/sea, and accelerate risk reduction efforts accordingly.