Turkey’s new earthquake map increases active faults from 485 to 700

Turkey’s state geology agency has updated its map of the country’s active faults for the first time in 13 years, increasing the number of mapped active faults from 485 to 700, in a review that officials say will guide planning for earthquake risks, infrastructure projects and urban development.

The State-run Anadolu News Agency reported on Monday that the General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration (MTA), a government agency responsible for geological research and mineral exploration, presented the “Map of Active Faults in Turkey 2026” during an event marking its 91st anniversary.

Vedat Yanik, Director General of the agency, said that the new map was prepared after years of field studies and academic research and is supported by a digital database.

“The number of active faults, which was 485 in the 2013 edition, has increased to 700 in this map in light of the new data,” Yannick said. “This map and the digital database we have prepared will be an essential reference source for earthquake risk analyses, critical infrastructure investments and national damage reduction policies.”

This number does not mean that 215 new faults have appeared in Turkey, but rather that scientists have added details to the map using new field data, separated some fault systems into smaller parts, and identified fault lines that were not mapped in the previous version.

A fault is a break in the Earth’s crust where blocks of rock move against each other. An active fault is one that shows evidence of movement in the geologic past and is treated by scientists as a potential source of future earthquakes.

This is important in Türkiye, where earthquakes are not rare events but a national safety issue affecting housing, transportation, power grids, dams, schools and hospitals.

The map shows where known active fault lines are located, helping authorities assess where shaking or surface ruptures should be taken into account before buildings, roads, pipelines and other projects are approved.

Türkiye lies on the Anatolian Plate, which is pressed by larger plates and intersected by several major fault systems. The North Anatolia Fault extends across northern Türkiye towards the Marmara Region, while the East Anatolia Fault passes through the southeast.

The southeast is still under the microscope after earthquakes centered near Kahramanmaraş on February 6, 2023, killed more than 53,000 people in Turkey and injured more than 107,000, according to official figures. The quakes, measured by the US Geological Survey at magnitudes of 7.8 and 7.5, revealed failures in quality construction, inspection and emergency planning.

The new map provides more detail on key active belts, including the North Anatolia Rift Zone, the East Anatolia Rift Zone, and the Western Türkiye and Aegean Rift Systems.

The Marmara region, home to Istanbul and much of the Turkish economy, remains one of the areas scientists are monitoring because of the western branch of the North Anatolia Rift. The Aegean region, including Izmir, Manisa, Aydın, Denizli, Muğla and Balıkesir, contains several shorter fault segments.

Eastern Anatolia includes the fault systems around Kahramanmaraş, Malatya, Elazig and Bingöl, the Lake Van area, and the Erzurum-Kars line.

Yanik said Türkiye’s location in the Alpine-Himalayan mountain belt makes updated data on active tectonic structures a matter of national security, development and disaster risk reduction.

Scientists and professional chambers in Türkiye have often warned that earthquake losses are due not only to geology, but also to poor planning, unsafe buildings and poor enforcement of building codes.

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