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BBC: Why was the earthquake in Turkey so deadly?

2023-02-07 20:10:38Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
BBC: Why was the earthquake in Turkey so deadly?
Why was the earthquake in Turkey so deadly?

By Pallab Gosh, BBC

More than 5,000 people were killed and thousands more injured when a major earthquake struck southeastern Turkey, near the border with Syria, in the early hours of Monday morning. The earthquake, which struck near the city of Gaziantep, was closely followed by multiple aftershocks, including one that was nearly as large as the first.

Why was it so deadly?

It was a major earthquake - registered as 7.8, classified as 'very large' on the official magnitude scale. It erupted along about 100 kilometers of the fault line, causing serious damage to buildings near the fault line.

BBC: Why was the earthquake in Turkey so deadly?

Professor Joanna Faure Walker, head of the Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction at University College London, said: "Of the deadliest earthquakes in any given year, only two in the last 10 years have been of equivalent magnitude and four in 10 previous years".

But it's not just the power of the vibration that causes destruction.

The incident happened in the early hours of the morning, when the people were inside and were sleeping.

Durability of buildings is also a factor.

Dr. Carmen Solana, an expert in volcanology and risk communication at the University of Portsmouth, said: “Unfortunately, the resilient infrastructure is in pieces in southern Turkey and especially in Syria. So even saving lives will now mostly depend on the reaction. The next 24 hours are crucial to find survivors. After 48 hours, the number of survivors decreases dramatically."

This was a region that had not had a major earthquake in over 200 years or any warning signs, so the level of preparedness would be less than for a region that is used to dealing with such large tremors.

BBC: Why was the earthquake in Turkey so deadly?

What caused the earthquake?

The earth's crust is made up of several separate pieces, called plates, that 'fit' next to each other.

These plates often try to move, but are prevented by rubbing against each other. But sometimes the pressure builds up so much that one plate suddenly shifts, causing the surface to move.

In this case it was the Arabian plate that moved northward and collided with the Anatolian plate.

BBC: Why was the earthquake in Turkey so deadly?

Plate friction has been responsible for very destructive earthquakes in the past. On August 13, 1822, it caused an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4, significantly less than the magnitude of 7.8 recorded on Monday.

However, the 19th century earthquake resulted in extensive damage to the cities of the area, with 7,000 deaths recorded in the city of Aleppo alone. The damaging aftershocks continued for nearly a year.

This time too there were aftershocks after the current earthquake and scientists expect that this earthquake will follow the trend like the previous big one in the region.

How are earthquakes measured?

They are measured by a scale called the Moment Magnitude Scale. It has replaced the well-known Richter scale, which is now considered outdated and less accurate.

The number attributed to the earthquake represents a combination of the distance the fault line moved and the force that moved it.

A vibration of 2.5 or less cannot usually be felt, but can be detected by instruments. Earthquakes up to 5 have been felt and cause minor damage. Turkish earthquakes with a magnitude of 7.8 are classified as large and usually cause serious damage, as happened in this case.

Anything over 8 deals catastrophic damage and can completely destroy communities at its center.

How does this compare to other large earthquakes?

The earthquake off the coast of Japan in 2011 had a magnitude of 9 and caused great damage to the land and provoked a tsunami - which also brought about the great accident at the nuclear power plant along the coast.

The largest earthquake ever was a 9.5 recorded in Chile in 1960.

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