TIMES.VG

BVI, Caribbeanand International News
TIMES.VG

What is an aftershock - and why are mass landslides now likely after the earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria?

What is an aftershock - and why are mass landslides now likely after the earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria?

The earthquake that caused such huge devastation in Turkey and Syria occurred along the East Anatolian Fault zone and was followed by dozens of aftershocks.

Two powerful earthquakes and dozens of aftershocks have wrought incalculable destruction on parts of Turkey and Syria, with much of the devastation hitting communities already vulnerable following a decade of war.

It is feared the death toll could rise to more than 20,000.

The initial 7.8 magnitude quake was followed by a 6.7 magnitude aftershock just 11 minutes later.

Another quake - almost as strong as the first, at 7.5 magnitude - hit the area within hours on Monday.



What causes earthquakes?


An earthquake is caused by what's known as a "sudden slip" on a fault line.

The Earth's tectonic plates are always moving, but they can get stuck at their edges due to friction, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) says.

It's when this stress at the edge overcomes the friction that an earthquake occurs, releasing energy in waves that travel through the Earth's crust and cause the shakes that we feel on the surface.

Yesterday's quake struck along the East Anatolian Fault zone, which runs from eastern to south-central Turkey.

Alex Hatem, a USGS research geologist, said in this case, "one plate moved west while the other moved east".

A satellite map of areas impacted by the Turkey-Syria earthquake. Pic: United Nations Satellite Centre


The Turkey-Syria disaster is thought to be a "strike-slip" quake, which occurs when two tectonic plates slide past each other horizontally.

What's the difference between an earthquake and an aftershock?


Aftershocks are a sequence of quakes that happen after the larger "mainshock" on a fault.

They tend to occur near the fault where the mainshock occurred and are part of the "readjustment process" after the main slip on the fault, the scientists at USGS say.

They become less frequent as time passes following the initial shock, but can continue for days, weeks, months, or even years.

When an earthquake hit the East Anatolian area in 1822, aftershocks continued throughout the following year.

The strongest aftershock after yesterday's quake was recorded as a 7.5 magnitude quake.

That's what made this such a rare and unusual disaster.

The last time there were any tremors of similar strength in the region was in 1872.

Several fault lines run through Turkey and Syria


The major aftershock was probably caused by the initial quake destabilising an adjacent fault that had also accumulated geological stresses over the years.

No wonder then that Stephen Hicks, a seismologist at University College London, told Sky News on Monday that what Turkey and Syria have experienced is "the worst kind of earthquake".

Why are mass landslides likely following the earthquake?


Professor Bruce Malamud, an expert in natural and environmental Hazards at King's College London, warns that "hundreds if not thousands" of landslides could now follow the devastating earthquake.

It means that thousands of people affected by the quake could face fresh danger.

Strong earthquake ground shaking increases the likelihood of landslides in certain areas.

If the ground is saturated with water, particularly following heavy rainfall, the shaking will result in more landslides than normal.

e said: "As a result of the Turkey earthquake, the hazard relief agencies and managers will also be conscious of other natural hazards and multi-hazard cascades.

"The seismic activity will likely trigger hundreds if not thousands of landslides in the hours to days after the earthquake and subsequent aftershocks."

Those organising the large-scale evacuations of people will need to be conscious that they are not transferred to an at-risk area.

Newsletter

Related Articles

TIMES.VG
Close
0:00
0:00
Donald Trump arrested – Twitter goes wild with doctored pictures
NYPD is setting up barricades outside Manhattan Criminal Court ahead of Trump arrest.
Credit Suisse's Scandalous History Resulted in an Obvious Collapse - It's time for regulators who fail to do their job to be held accountable and serve as an example by being behind bars.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman tours potential migrant housing in Rwanda as asylum deal remains mired in legal challenges
Paris Rioting vs Macron anti democratic law
'Sexual Fantasy' Assignment At US School Outrages Parents
Credit Suisse to borrow $54 billion from Swiss central bank
Russian Hackers Preparing New Cyber Assault Against Ukraine
Jeremy Hunt insists his Budget will get young parents and over-50s back into work
If this was in Tehran, Moscow or Hong Kong
TRUMP: "Standing before you today, I am the only candidate who can make this promise: I will prevent World War III."
Mexican President Claims Mexico is Safer than the U.S.
A brief banking situation report
Lady bites police officer and gets instantly reaction
We are witnessing widespread bank fails and the president just gave a 5 min speech then walked off camera.
Donald Trump's asked by Tucker Carlson question on if the U.S. should support regime change in Russia?.
Silicon Valley Bank exec was Lehman Brothers CFO
In a potential last-ditch effort, HSBC is considering a rescue deal to save Silicon Valley Bank UK from insolvency
BBC Director General, Tim Davie, has apologized, but not resigned, yet, following the disruption of sports programmes over the weekend
Elon Musk Is Planning To Build A Town In Texas For His Employees
The Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse effect is spreading around the world, affecting startup companies across the globe
City officials in Berlin announced on Thursday that all swimmers at public pools will soon be allowed to swim topless
Fitness scam
Market Chaos as USDC Loses Peg to USD after $3.3 Billion Reserves Held by Silicon Valley Bank Closed.
Senator Tom Cotton: If the Mexican Government Won’t Stop Cartels from Killing Americans, Then U.S. Government Should
Banking regulators close SVB, the largest bank failure since the financial crisis
The unelected UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, an immigrant himself, defends new controversial crackdown on illegal migration
Man’s penis amputated by mistake after he’s wrongly diagnosed with a tumour
In a major snub to Downing Street's Silicon Valley dreams, UK chip giant Arm has dealt a serious blow to the government's economic strategy by opting for a US listing
It's the question on everyone's lips: could a four-day workweek be the future of employment?
Is Gold the Ultimate Safe Haven Asset in Times of Uncertainty?
Spain officials quit over trains that were too wide for tunnels...
Don Lemon, a CNN anchor, has provided a list of five areas that he believes the black community needs to address.
Hello. Here is our news digest from London.
Corruption and Influence Buying Uncovered in International Mainstream Media: Investigation Reveals Growing Disinformation Mercenaries
Givenchy Store in New York Robbed of $50,000 in Merchandise
European MP Clare Daly condemns US attack on Nord Stream
Former U.S. President Carter will spend his remaining time at home and receive hospice care instead of medication
Tucker Carlson called Trump a 'demonic force'
US Joins 15 NATO Nations in Largest Space Data Collection Initiative in History
White House: No ETs over the United States
U.S. Jet Shoots Down Flying Object Over Canada
Being a Tiktoker might be expensive…
SpaceX, the private space exploration company, made a significant breakthrough in their mission to reach space.
China's top tech firms, including Alibaba, Tencent, Baidu, NetEase, and JD.com, are developing their own versions of Open AI's AI-powered chatbot, ChatGPT
This shocking picture, showing how terrible is the results of the earthquake in Turkey
President Joe Biden delivered the 2023 State of the Union Address , in order to help Americans that missed the 2022 speech, do not have internet, and suffer from short memory.
The desk of King Carlos Alberto of Sardinia has many secret compartments
Today's news from Britain - 9th February 2023
The five largest oil companies in the West generated combined profits of nearly $200 billion in 2022, which has led to increased calls for governments to impose tougher windfall taxes
×