Seismologists have warned that the 7.8 quake that hit Turkey and Syria could be one of the deadliest in a decade as it came from over 100 kilometers of a fault between the Anatolian and Arabian plates.

The epicenter of the earthquake was located about 26 km east of the Turkish city of Nurdayi, at a depth of 18 km, on the East Anatolian fault. During the 20th century, seismic activity was low on this fault.

Only three earthquakes greater than 6 on the Richter scale have been recorded in the area since 1970, according to the USGS. However, in 1822, an earthquake measuring 7 on the Richter scale killed 20,000 people.

On average, there are fewer than 20 earthquakes greater than 7.0 each year worldwide, making today’s aftershocks one of the strongest.

Compared to the magnitude 6.2 earthquake that struck central Italy in 2016 and killed about 300 people, the Turkey earthquake released 250 times more energy, according to Joanna Fore Walker, head of the Institute for Disaster and Hazard Reduction at University College London. .

Of the mass-casualty earthquakes that occurred between 2013 and 2022, only two were as strong as today’s.

According to David Rothery of the British Open University, the earthquake came from a relatively shallow source, so the shaking on the surface was stronger than if it had come from a deeper depth.

Eleven minutes after the first shock, an aftershock of magnitude 6.7 followed. A few hours later, a 7.5 magnitude shock occurred, followed by a 6 magnitude aftershock in the afternoon.

“Now we see that activity is spreading to neighboring faults. We expect seismic activity to continue for some time,” said Roger Musson of the British Geological Survey.

After the 1822 earthquake, aftershocks continued into the following year.

Earthquakes of similar strength in populated areas claimed thousands of lives. A magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Nepal in 2015 killed nearly 9,000 people.

“It won’t be good (s.s.: report).” “There will be thousands, possibly tens of thousands of victims,” Roger Musson added, stressing that many of those trapped under the rubble will find it difficult to survive because of the cold.

Source: APE-MPE, Reuters.