Worldwide, only around 15 earthquakes of magnitude seven or greater happen per year. The disaster in Turkey and Syria was the first such event on the East Anatolian fault in modern times
Save time by listening to our audio articles as you multitaskAlthough Turkey is far from the Pacific “ring of fire” that generates most of the world’s strongest earthquakes, its neighbourhood is unusually seismically active. Quakes tend to occur along the boundaries between tectonic plates, the segments of Earth’s crust that get moved around by convection currents in the hot mantle below.
The eastern Mediterranean has a particularly complex tectonic structure involving several “microplates”, including the Anatolian plate, on which most of Turkey sits. A mere 100m years ago, this plate comprised part of the southern shore of a sea called Tethys, which separated Africa from Eurasia. As this body of water closed up, leaving the Aral, Black, Caspian and Mediterranean seas as its only remnants, the Anatolian plate drifted north.
In the wake of a catastrophic earthquake near Istanbul in 1999, Turkish leaders vowed to improve seismic preparedness. That tremor originated in the North Anatolian fault, the Anatolian plate’s boundary with the Eurasian plate, which has been the source of most of Turkey’s large quakes. In contrast, the East Anatolian fault, where it rubs up against the Arabian plate, had not seen a quake of at least magnitude seven since modern monitoring systems began in the late 19th century.
Many other active fault systems, such as the Cascadia subduction zone in the north-western United States and south-western Canada, have gone centuries without an earthquake. Such relative quiet does not necessarily indicate low seismic risk. Strain along the East Anatolian fault had been building up year after year, making the fault ripe for a cataclysm.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Turkey-Syria earthquake: Fire at Turkey port adds to quake disruptionDespite claims the fire had been extinguished, the BBC witnessed it still smouldering on Wednesday.
Read more »
First picture of East Kilbride man who died in flat as murder probe launchedAlexander Allan, aged 43, was found seriously injured at a flat block in Ivanhoe on Tuesday night. He was treated by paramedics at the scene but was later pronounced dead.
Read more »
How people in Greater Manchester can help after Turkey and Syria earthquakeCollection points have been set up in Trafford Park and Middleton for clothes and sleeping bags, as Manchester rescue teams head tp the disaster zone
Read more »
Turkey earthquake: Newcastle community's anxious wait for newsNewcastle's Turkish community say some families with homes destroyed are living outside.
Read more »
Turkey earthquake: Welsh rescue team told to stand downRescue efforts are ongoing following the earthquake which struck on Monday morning.
Read more »
Dad holds hand of dead daughter crushed under rubble in Turkey earthquakeHeartbreaking images captured Mesut Hancer holding the hand of his 15 year old daughter, who was crushed to death during the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.
Read more »