What continues to cause earthquakes in Turkey? An expert explains

Heavy machinery works on the debris of collapsed buildings after earthquakes hit several Turkish provinces on Tuesday. (Orhan Bahloul/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

A strong aftershock jolted southern Turkey on Monday, in a series of tremors to hit the region since the devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake earlier this month.

The death toll in both Turkey and Syria has risen steadily since February 6, with the death toll now exceeding 50,000. According to statistics from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 15 million people in 10 different provinces of Turkey have been affected by major earthquakes and aftershocks.

Over the course of three weeks, Turkey has been hit by several earthquakes of magnitude 5.6 or higher. To understand the ongoing tragedies out there, Yahoo News spoke with Ebru Bozdag, associate professor of geophysics at the Colorado School of Mines.

How does an earthquake happen?

Smoke rises from the port of Iskenderun in Turkey on February 7, after the earthquake. (Burak Kara/Getty Images)

“The main cause of earthquakes is the relative movement of tectonic plates on the surface,” Bozdag said.

“Earth has, roughly, four main layers. From surface to center: crust, mantle, outer and inner cores. The crust is divided into rigid tectonic plates that float on top of the mantle due to convection currents in the mantle. When the plates move relative to each other, earthquakes occur at the boundary Plates But we also notice some seismic activity within tectonic plates as well.

She explained, “Another cause of earthquakes has to do with mantle plumes and associated volcanic activities that can occur within tectonic plates, such as the type of earthquakes seen in Hawaii, which are located roughly in the middle of the Pacific plate.”

Why did Turkey have many earthquakes this month?

Streets have been reduced to rubble after the earthquake that hit the Turkish city of Hatay on Sunday. (Photo by Umut Unver/dia via Getty Images)

“Turkey is located in one of the most seismically active regions on earth,” Bozdag said. “Due to the push of the Arabian plate towards the north and subduction [when one plate moves under another and into the mantle] In the Mediterranean, the Anatolian Plate is trying to escape from the west, and is making a counterclockwise rotation using the two main fault zones: the North Anatolian Rift and the East Anatolian Rift.

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And she continued: “The recent earthquakes in eastern Anatolia occurred on the East Anatolian Rift and adjacent faults where three tectonic plates meet, which is called the triple junction: the Arabian plate, the Anatolian plate, and the African plate. The Arab and African plates move north by about a few millimeters each year, which leads to an accumulation of pressure At plate boundaries, known as fault zones. We are watching stress release along faults with recent earthquakes.”

Is it possible that earthquakes in Turkey will continue to be frequent over the next few weeks or months?

Firefighters put out a fire that broke out in the ruins of a factory in Hatay province on Sunday. (Kadir Kemal Behar/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

“Yes, after major earthquakes, it is common for aftershocks to occur for a few months, sometimes more than a year, until the tectonic plates stabilize,” Bozdag explained.

“It is also possible for earthquakes to build up stress when nearby faults or faults persist, which could trigger other earthquakes.”

Does climate change affect seismic activity?

“We don’t have such an observation, but it is unlikely, because the main source of seismic activity is generated by internal processes,” Bozdag said.

Could earthquakes lead to more catastrophic natural disasters in the region?

Two men watch the rubble removal process in Hatay. (Mehmet Kakmaz / Getty Images)

“After these large earthquakes, we notice aftershocks that are gradually decreasing,” Bozdag said. Then a certain amount of time is needed for the same amount of stress to accumulate to generate similar earthquakes in the area. So it is very unlikely that large earthquakes will occur in the same locations now.

She said, “But the disaster is directly related to the quality of the buildings. If the area is well prepared, follows the rules and receives feedback from science and engineering experts, there is no need for the next big earthquake to be catastrophic.”

Was the original earthquake expected? If so, were people warned?

Smoke and collapse of buildings in the city of Iskenderun on February 7 (Burak Kara/Getty Images)

“We can’t predict earthquakes, which means we can’t say that an earthquake will happen at this location, at this time, of this magnitude,” she said. “However, we largely know the faults and monitor seismic activity regularly, so that we know well where we should reasonably expect earthquakes and their associated magnitudes.”

How can Turkey plan for more earthquakes to prevent, to reduce death and destruction?

Survivors in front of destroyed buildings in Hatay on February 8. (Photo by Ugur Yildirim/Diya from Getty Images)

“Turkey has a scientific and engineering background to monitor seismic activity and identify seismic risks,” Bozdag said. Turkey also has appropriate building codes. The problem occurs with the implementation of these codes. To mitigate earthquake risks, we must build appropriate buildings in appropriate locations, taking into account earthquake risks.

“Of course, it would be better to build cities on hard rock rather than on soft deposits as these areas have to be used for agriculture or recreational areas, etc,” she said. “It is also recommended not to build buildings on fault lines. Unfortunately, the quality of buildings is the main problem in Turkey, which is getting worse because they are built on soft materials such as sedimentary basins, which increases their severity.”

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