Earthquake in Turkey

Herald Tribune International, electronic edition of New York Times reports about an earthquake in Turkey. According to the data provided by Herald Tribune an earthquake of moderate stench took place on September 17, 2008  at 3:08 local time in Turkey. This earthquake was registered on the eastern part of the country. Preliminary magnitude of the earthquake was about 4.7 on the Richter scale. According to the data of Kandili Observatory situated in Istanbul, the town Otlukbeli became the centre of the earthquake. Otlukbeli is situated in Erzincan province on the east of Turkey.

Another earthquakes repeated two days later, September 19, 2008. UAE Daily New official website gives official information provided by the Istanbul authorities. According to these data two people died in the result of the earthquake. This happened in the province Rize situated on the southeast Turkey. Turkish security forces report that earthquake was accompanied by heavy rain which resulted in serious damage of property and resulted in human victims. Rain and earthquake caused serious damage in the area.

It is not the first time Turkey suffers because of earthquakes. The part of the country situated on the territory of the North Anatolian fault often experiences devastative force of earthquakes. In 1939 Erzincan province experienced an earthquake of 7.9 magnitude. This earthquake killed 33, 000 people. This earthquake was followed by the succession of smaller earthquakes during next several years. By the middle of the 1950s seismic activity reduced in this region and renewed only in the end of the 20th century.  Another earthquake which took place in 1992 at the same region took lives of 500 people. Strong earthquake of 1999 caused serious damage to the northwestern Turkey and took lives of 18, 000 people. More than 200, 000 lost their homes and property.

Present earthquake of September 17, 2008, same like previous ones, was caused by the geographical location of the country. Turkey is situated on the North Anatolian fault, which is formed by the wedge of Eurasia and Africa-Middle East tectonic plates. When plates move and grind against each other The North Anatolian fault goes under the pressure created by the movements of the plates.  The pressure results in ground motions and this becomes the reason of the earthquakes in this territory. North Anatolian fault is one of the longest faults in the world. The entire territory of the fault makes a seismic zone. During the motions of each of the plates of several of them the land of the Anatolian fault is crumpled and ridged.

Since Turkey has long history of Earthquakes state authorities take certain steps aiming to reduce possible bad consequences of the earthquakes. At the present moment there are no preventive methods which could stop earthquakes. Authorities of the country invest money in the development of the system which would enable to predict earthquakes and timely react on them. The government makes everything possible in order to take into account seismic peculiarities of the region when developing new building projects and infrastructure of the country.  Earthquakes which took place September 17 and September 19 were not so dangerous and devastating as ones which took place 9 years earlier. The strength of the latest earthquakes was estimated 4.7 on the Richter scale which belongs to the category of middle strength.



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