More than 16,000 people lost their lives as a result of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, the figure is expected to rise further as search and rescue operations continue. Why was the earthquake in Turkey so deadly?
Turkey is located in a region where three tectonic plates meet - Arab, Anatolian and African. When these plates slide forward and rub against each other, they create earthquakes, according to Yaareb Altaweel, a seismologist at the National Earthquake Information Center, in Colorado.
The Arabian plate is moving north at a rate of about 11 millimeters a year, said Stephen Hicks, a seismologist at University College London. Turkey, which sits on the Anatolian plate, is pushing westward.
Why were there so many deaths?
The high death toll is the result of several factors:
- the strong earthquake
- the fact that it hit relatively close to the surface
- the proximity to where people live
Monday's earthquake started only about 11 miles below the surface. This means that the seismic waves caused more intense shaking. Aftershocks from the earthquake were also strong.
Another important factor is the quality of constructions . The US Geological Survey (USGS) writes that "the population in this region resides in structures that are extremely vulnerable to earthquake shaking, although some resistant structures exist."
According to the USGS, buildings with weak brick masonry and low concrete frames are at greatest risk. These materials are too rigid to swing, so they are more likely to collapse during swings.
