In this article you will read about Turkey Earthquake Reddit.
Three earthquakes measuring 7.8, 7.6 or 6.0 on Richter scale decimated Turkey and Syria. Additional areas affected were: Lebanon (874km), Israel (1.381km), Egypt (1.411km), and Cyprus (456km). Around 4 AM on February 6th, the first earthquake tremors occurred. The epicenter was located in central Turkey’s Gaziantep. This is home to over 2 million people. Many Syrian refugees fled civil war in Syria, and this population includes them. Turkish authorities claim that at least 40 aftershocks were recorded following the initial earthquake. Some were as strong 6.7. Nine hours later, another earthquake of 7.6 magnitude hit the region. Officials claim that this earthquake is the strongest to hit the region in more than 100 years. As of Tuesday morning, it claimed at least 3,800 lives in Turkey and Syria.
More than 2,000 people are at high risk of injury and many more remain in rubble. Turkey has issued a Level 4-level emergency alert calling for international assistance. According to reports, aid was sent by the U.S., European Union, Russia and Azerbaijan. It is not clear how much damage has been done. Searchers continue to dig under the rubble and disturbing images of children and adults being pulled out of the dirt are being shared online by rescue workers. Rescue efforts are complicated by the difficulties caused by Turkey’s rainy and freezing weather as well as Syria’s civil conflict, which has displaced millions over the past decade.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey the earthquake’s focal point measured 18 km deep. The epicentre was 33km away from Gaziantep. The USGS states that many of the buildings in the region are made from brittle concrete which can lead to cracking, spalling, or loss of strength.
Vice President Fuat Ottay stated that nearly 900 buildings were damaged in Turkey’s Gaziantep and Kahramanmaras areas. All the buildings along the border between the Syrian cities of Aleppo and Hama, as well as Turkey’s Diyarbakir, collapsed. Raed Ahmed, Syria’s National Earthquake Center, stated that it was the largest earthquake ever recorded.
Images show extensive damage to roads, buildings, shopping malls, and airports. Turkey’s Hatay Airport runway was damaged by the powerful earthquake. Officials claim that at least 10 cities in Turkey were affected by the earthquake. Additionally, more than 2,818 buildings were also damaged. Gaziantep’s most famous landmark, a 2,200 year-old stone castle, perched on a hill in central Gaziantep has been demolished. Its walls and watch towers were also destroyed. One of Maltaya’s most famous sites was the Yeni Mosque. It dates back to the 13 th century. It was destroyed.
Turkey is frequently shaken by earthquakes. According to the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), there were almost 33,000 earthquakes in the region in 2020. Three32 earthquakes were recorded at magnitudes 4.0 and higher.
Turkey’s vulnerability for earthquakes can be attributed to its tectonic location. The Earth’s outermost layer consists of 15 major slabs, called tectonic plates. These plates are separated by faults. Faults are fractures in blocks of rock. Any sudden movement along these faults can cause earthquakes ,to British Archaeological Survey.
Turkey is located on the Anatolian Plate. It lies between the Eurasian and African tectonic plates. Further limiting the movement are the minor Arabian plates to the north. The North Anatolian fault (NAF) is the “most destructive” fault. It marks the intersection of Eurasian and Anatolian tectonic plates. One of the most widely understood fault lines is the NAF. It runs from South Istanbul to Northeastern Turkey, and has been responsible a number of catastrophic earthquakes. In 1999, it caused two earthquakes of 7.4 magnitude each in Golcuk Provinces. Nearly 18,000 people died and more than 45,000 were injured. Van, an east-coast city, was struck by an earthquake in 2011. More than 500 people died.
The East Anatolian fault is another important feature. It forms the tectonic boundary between the Anatolian Plate and the northward-moving Arabian Plate. It runs for approximately 650km from east Turkey to the Mediterranean. This region is also home to the Aegean Seaplate (located in the eastern Mediterranean Seaunder South Greece) and western Turkey.
According to one estimate, nearly 95% of the country is at risk from earthquakes. About a third of the country, which includes areas around Istanbul, Izmir and other parts, is at risk.
Between 2013 and 2022, there were 30673 earthquakes worldwide. Only two earthquakes were stronger than Monday’s.
“It’s a very large fault line but this earthquake has much greater power than any they’ve ever experienced in recent memories,” Karl Lang, an assistant professor at Georgia Tech University’s School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, told CNN about Monday’s earthquake.
Monday’s earthquakes were stronger than any since December 1939 when a magnitude-8 earthquake shook Erzincan. The earthquake caused more than 20,000 deaths and damaged nearly 1,16,000.720 homes.
Between 1939 and 1999, Turkey experienced five major earthquakes. The Izmit Earthquake, a magnitude 7.4 earthquake that hit Turkey’s Antolian fault in August 1999, was the fifth. It rattled densely populated areas almost for a minute. 17,000 people died, 1,20,000 homes were destroyed by poor construction and 2,50,000 people became homeless. A 7.2 earthquake in Duzce and its environs killed more than 845 people three months later.
More than 90,000. Since 1900, more than 90,000. About half of these people died in the earthquakes in the United States that struck in 1999 and 1939. Over the last century, Turkey has suffered losses of over $25 billion in direct money.
An expert panel established a “catastrophic plan” in 2021. The expert panel warned that Istanbul’s 2,00,000. buildings are at risk of suffering moderate- to severe damage. This could endanger the livelihoods and lives of three million people. An investigation into the 1999 earthquake which claimed thousands of lives revealed that buildings did not meet required design standards, and were not earthquake-resistant as required under regulations. Experts also pointed out that the buildings were poorly constructed and made of poor materials. Multiple studies, including one in 2020, have confirmed this warning. They found that earthquakes of greater than 7.4 magnitudes are possible in multiple locations. Experts agree that it is not a question of “if”, but rather “when”.
According to reports, the situation is worse in Syria. Both the government-controlled and opposition-occupied regions have been affected by earthquake-related destruction. Both these regions now face winter storms, which can make it difficult for them to access food, water and other humanitarian resources. Syrian Civil Defence, an opposition-held organization, declared a state of emergency and asked for international assistance to rescue civilians in Syria.
