In the aftermath of the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes that occurred on Feb. 6 final 12 months, researchers have unveiled stunning findings, shedding gentle on the seismic exercise within the area.
The workforce, led by Afyon Kocatepe University Earthquake Application and Research Center Director Çağlar Özkaymak, disclosed that greater than 44,000 aftershocks occurred within the area inside a 12 months of the 2 main quakes. The research recommend that these aftershocks are anticipated to proceed for 3 or 4 years, albeit at a lowering fee.
Özkaymak shared insights from their analysis, highlighting that they noticed a floor rupture of practically 450 kilometers (280 miles) as a result of earthquakes. He emphasised that the seismic exercise offered surprising scientific phenomena, revealing that a number of fault segments ruptured concurrently. In the primary earthquake, 4 fault segments broke, and within the second earthquake, two fault segments ruptured. This simultaneous rupture contributed to the next magnitude than initially anticipated.
“The earthquake greatly increased the destruction in the region,” Özkaymak said.
While expressing that they don’t anticipate new ruptures within the areas the place the earthquakes occurred within the close to future, Özkaymak highlighted the significance of investigating unbroken fault segments and mentioned: “As part of the ‘Turkish Active Faults Paleoseismology Project,’ the team plans to conduct research on the Yesemek, Narlı and Sakçagöz segments of the Dead Sea fault system. This research aims to fill the existing data gaps and provide new insights into the earthquake-generating potential of these faults.”
The challenge will contain collaboration with Dokuz Eylül University professor Hasan Sözbilir, analysis assistant Mustafa Softa and Eskişehir Osmangazi University professor Volkan Karabacak.
Özkaymak emphasised the necessity for a greater understanding of faults in Hatay and the southern area when it comes to seismological and earthquake conduct, indicating that additional analysis will contribute to enhancing preparedness and resilience in earthquake-prone areas.
Highlighting historic earthquake information on the northern branches of the Dead Sea fault system within the 1800s, Özkaymak emphasised the necessity to examine the unknown faults on the south aspect of Antakya. Expressing considerations about potential future earthquakes, he said: “In the coming years, faults with magnitudes ranging from 7.3 to 7.4, and even greater, are expected in the south and east of Antakya. The Dead Sea fault system merges with the Eastern Anatolian Fault in the Antakya region, and there are significant faults with the potential to produce earthquakes of up to 7.6-7.7 magnitudes. These faults extend southward toward the Red Sea and Israel, forming the tectonic boundary between the Arabian and African plates. The Antakya Fault continues southwest, connecting to the Cyprus arc, which passes through the south of Cyprus and where the African oceanic lithosphere subducts under the Anatolian plate.”
Özkaymak added that fractures on this area, particularly underwater areas round Cyprus, have the potential to set off devastating earthquakes and tsunamis.
Source: www.dailysabah.com