Izmet, Turkey Earthquake

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Izmet, Turkey Earthquake

• By Molly Sumpter

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Outline

• tectonic setting of Turkey, North Anatolian Fault
• August 17, 1999 event
• outcomes, what was learned from this quake

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Tectonic Setting

• Convergence between the African and Eurasian
  plates
• results in the westward motion of the Turkey
  plate on which most of the land area of Turkey
  lies.
• The plate is bounded to the north by the
  1200-km-long North Anatolian Fault, and to the
  south by the Southern Anatolian fault which slip
  respectively in a right-lateral and left-lateral
  sense.
• The Black Sea margin of Turkey lies on the
  EuroAsian Plate
• strike-slip earthquakes with little or no
  vertical slip.
• The western margin of Turkey is a region of
  convergence with the Aegean Sea floor
• thrust-type earthquakes with a substantial
  vertical slip component.

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North Anatolian Fault

• Scientists fear segments could act as dominos if
  enough stress is transferred through segments
• The North Anatolian fault is very similar to San
  Andreas fault in California
• similar slip rates
• total length
• and straightness relative to their poles of
  rotation

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August 17, 1999

• 300 am
• Lasted 45 seconds
• 7.4 magnitude
• Epicenter was 7 miles east of Izmit
• 10.5 miles below ground
• Felt in Africa
• Death toll between 30-40,000

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WHAT WENT WRONG?
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Lessons Learned

• Loss of life and building collapse was avoidable.
• new buildings performed very poorly because they
  were not properly designed, not properly
  constructed, or located on ground that failed
  from shaking or faulting.
• Severe industrial losses also were avoidable.
• The major damage at these facilities could have
  been avoided with better earthquake resistant
  structural design, systems design, and planning.
• Limited earthquake insurance availability.
• According to the World Bank, only 15 of the
  residences in the Istanbul urban area are insured
  for earthquake
• Ground faulting and rupture losses from poor land
  use planning.
• Many structures build on or near a well-known
  fault

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Sources

• http//cires.colorado.edu/bilham/Izmit_EEFIT_REPO
  RT.htm
• http//www.absconsulting.com/resources/Catastrophe
  _Reports/Izmit-Turkey-1999.pdf