Podcast6.8-magnitude quake cannot determine rupture on fault line
The 6.8-magnitude earthquake of Jan. 24 ruptured the fault line underground, and no surface ruptures were observed, which makes it difficult for experts to determine the exact damage, said Serdar Akyüz of Istanbul Technical University (İTÜ).
Filiz Gazi / Duvar
It would be premature to declare damage in the North Anatolian fault line following the 6.8-magnitude quake that took place in Elazığ on Jan. 24, said Prof. Serdar Akyüz of Istanbul Technical University (İTÜ).
"The quake did not reveal a surface rupture, and cannot help determine the extent of the line rupture or how it moved," Akyüz said, adding that geophysical and satellite images are crucial in measuring the damage.
The fact that the rupture was underground makes the magnitude, depth and rupture length difficult to pinpoint, which results in different data being put forward by different sources, Akyüz noted.
"Buildings don't kill"
The Elazığ quake tore down 496 buildings, heavily damaged 540 and moderately damaged 616.
"Had the buildings been constructed in accordance with the 1975 earthquake regulations, they would have endured mild damage. Buildings don't kill if they're built in accordance with the regulations," said Dr. Beyza Taşkın, the Vice Principal of the İTÜ Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Disaster Management.
Taşkın said that one of the buildings that collapsed and trapped residents under the rubble had storefronts on the ground floor, another had heavy balconies built on the fronts, and the last one had "thin and short columns."