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Earthquake in Turkey

Posted on February 7, 2023 by admin1  1540

In Context

  • Recently, three earthquakes measuring 7.8, 7.6, and 6.0 magnitude on the Richter scale hit wide swaths of Turkey and neighbouring Syria.

More about the news

  • Epicentre:
    • The epicentre was about 26 km east of the Turkish city of Nurdagi at a depth of about 18 km on the East Anatolian Fault. 
    • The quake radiated towards the northeast, bringing devastation to central Turkey and Syria.
  • Damage:
    • This is the strongest earthquake to shake the region in more than 100 years. 
    • It has killed at least 3,800 people across Turkey and Syria.
  • Vulnerability of the region:
    • The area has many buildings constructed of brittle concrete (which makes them prone to cracking, spalling, loss of strength, or steel corrosion), making them “extremely vulnerable to earthquake shaking.

Earthquake

  • It is the shaking of the surface of the Earth which results in a sudden release of energy in the Earth’s lithosphere (rocky outer part of the Earth) that creates seismic waves.
  • Earthquakes can cause severe damage, particularly in an area where homes and other buildings are poorly constructed and landslides are common.
  • An earthquake’s point of initial rupture is called its hypocenter or focus. 
  • The epicentre is the point at ground level directly above the hypocenter.
  • It is measured in the Richter scale.

Plate Tectonic Theory/Plate Tectonic

  • Plate tectonic theory had its beginnings in 1915 when Alfred Wegener proposed his theory of “continental drift. 
  • According to the Plate Tectonic theory, Earth has a rigid outer layer, known as the lithosphere, which is typically about 100 km (60 miles) thick and overlies a plastic (moldable, partially molten) layer called the asthenosphere. 
  • The lithosphere is broken up into:
    • seven very large continental- and ocean-sized plates,
    • six or seven medium-sized regional plates, and 
    • several small plates. 
  • These plates move relative to each other.
    • They typically move at rates of 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 inches) per year, and interact along their boundaries.
    • They converge, diverge, or slip past one another. 

  • Outcomes:
    • Responsible for Earthquakes:
      • Such interactions are thought to be responsible for most of Earth’s seismic and volcanic activity, although earthquakes and volcanoes can occur in plate interiors.
    • Mountain formation:
      • Plate motions cause mountains to rise where plates push together or converge. 
    • Ocean formation:
      • Continents fracture and oceans are formed where plates pull apart or diverge.

Reasons of Turkey’s Earthquakes

  • Turkey’s proneness to earthquakes:
    • Turkey is frequently shaken by earthquakes. 
      • In 2020 itself, it recorded almost 33,000 earthquakes in the region, according to Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD). 
      • Out of these, 332 earthquakes were of magnitudes 4.0 and higher. 
    • Turkey’s proneness to earthquakes comes from its tectonic location.
      • According to one estimate, almost 95% of the country’s land mass is prone to earthquake.
      • About a third of the country is at high risk, including the areas around the major cities of Istanbul and Izmir and the region of East Anatolia.  
  • Significance of location:
    • Anatolian tectonic plate:
      • Turkey is located on the Anatolian tectonic plate, which is wedged between the Eurasian and African plates. 
      • On the north side, the minor Arabian plate further restricts movement. 
    • North Anatolian fault (NAF) line:
      • One fault line — the North Anatolian fault (NAF) line, the meeting point of the Eurasian and Anatolian tectonic plates — is known to be “particularly devastating”. 
      • The NAF, one of the best-understood fault systems in the world, stretches from the south of Istanbul to northeastern Turkey, and has caused catastrophic earthquakes in the past.
    • East Anatolian fault line:
      • Then there is the East Anatolian fault line, the tectonic boundary between the Anatolian Plate and the northward-moving Arabian Plate. 
      • It runs 650 kilometers from eastern Turkey and into the Mediterranean. 
    • Aegean Sea Plate:
      • In addition to this, the Aegean Sea Plate, located in the eastern Mediterranean Sea under southern Greece and western Turkey, is also a source of seismic activity in the region. 

 

Damage to the ancient historical sites

  • Gaziantep Kalesi:
    • The historic 2,200-year-old stone castle sitting atop a hill in the centre of Gaziantep. 
    • Known locally as Gaziantep Kalesi, the historic stone castle was first constructed as an observation point by the Hittite Empire during the second millennium BC.
      • For over 2,000 years, Gaziantep Castle stood strong, its structure remaining intact despite waves of invasion and conquest that saw it controlled by a series of Middle Eastern empires.
    • It is the most famous landmark of Gaziantep which was used as an observation point during Roman times – has been damaged, with its walls and watch towers disintegrated. 
  • Yeni Mosque:
    • One of the most prominent sites in Maltaya, the famous Yeni Mosque which dates back to the 13th century, has collapsed due to the earthquake. 

Source: TH

 
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