Earthquake in Turkey - Current Affairs

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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