A seismic swarm occurred near the coast of western Turkey from 03:55 on 15 May 2024 to 15:41 on 16 May 2024. Over 35 hours and 45 minutes, 41 earthquakes were recorded. This event aligns with the region's established pattern of clustered seismic activity driven by extensional tectonics.
Western Turkey lies within the Aegean extensional province, where the Anatolian plate experiences north-south stretching due to the rollback of the subducting African plate along the Hellenic Arc. The area features active normal faults that accommodate crustal extension, resulting in frequent shallow earthquakes. Depths in this swarm ranged from 5 to 16 km, consistent with typical seismicity in the upper crust of this tectonic setting. Historical records confirm western Turkey experiences recurrent earthquake swarms linked to fluid migration and fault interactions.
The swarm's temporal distribution showed peak activity in the initial hours, with magnitudes between 2.0 and 4.2. The largest event reached magnitude 4.2 at 10 km depth. Subsequent events remained predominantly below magnitude 3.0, indicating a swarm rather than a mainshock-aftershock sequence. Depths clustered around 10–15 km for most events, suggesting activation along mid-crustal fault segments.
Prior swarms in the region since 2000 include one in 2008, one in 2017, and two in 2021. These episodes demonstrate episodic clustering without progression to larger mainshocks, a characteristic of the area's tectonic regime.
This May 2024 swarm reinforces the ongoing seismic hazard in western Turkey's coastal zone, where monitoring supports preparedness efforts amid the region's dynamic geology.