Earthquake warning from experts for 2 cities! 'Expected to be over 6...'

Experts have issued a warning to be prepared for a possible earthquake in the Eastern Anatolia Region.

Prof. Dr. Orhan Kavak, a faculty member at Dicle University (DÜ) Faculty of Engineering, Department of Mining Engineering, Division of General Geology, stated that the reality of earthquakes must be well understood, noting that Turkey is an earthquake-prone country.

Expressing that earthquakes will continue to occur in the future as a result of ruptures caused by the compression of fault lines, Kavak noted that the East Anatolian Fault Line, in particular, and the area around Bingöl are among the regions where energy is accumulating.

"AN EARTHQUAKE OVER 6 IS ALSO EXPECTED IN BINGÖL"

Kavak said, "Earthquakes will occur in Hakkari in the coming period. An energy transfer has taken place from Kahramanmaraş and Malatya towards Bingöl. An earthquake over 6 is also expected in Bingöl."

Stating that it is impossible to determine when or how an earthquake will occur, but that compressions and energy transfers have been identified, Kavak pointed out that the reflections of the earthquake are more significant than the location where it occurs.

Kavak emphasized the need for earthquake-resistant structures and settlements built with appropriate techniques, noting that this would allow the impact of future earthquakes to be felt more mildly.

Stating that the East and Southeast are areas constantly exposed to earthquakes, Kavak said, "Disasters do not kill people; it is poorly constructed buildings that kill people. If we take our precautions and build structures using appropriate techniques, the impact on buildings will be minimized; even if exposed to an earthquake of magnitude 8 or 9, the interaction will be at a minimal level. We must be ready for an earthquake every minute, every second."

"THE MOST RISKY SECTION OF THE EAST ANATOLIAN FAULT ZONE IS BETWEEN GÖKDERE AND BINGÖL"

Prof. Dr. Ercan Aksoy, a faculty member at Fırat University Faculty of Engineering, Department of Geological Engineering, also stated that the 6.8 magnitude earthquake that occurred on January 24, 2020, centered in Sivrice district, was the first indication that the main activity in the East Anatolian Fault Zone had begun.

Pointing out that the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes occurred on February 6, 2023, following this, Aksoy reported that the number of aftershocks since those earthquakes has reached 40 thousand.

Emphasizing that the North Anatolian Fault Zone and the East Anatolian Fault Zone meet near the Karlıova district of Bingöl, Aksoy stated that numerous aftershocks occurred following the February 6, 2023, earthquakes in Gürün, Darende, around the Pütürge district of Malatya, in the Yeşilyurt region, and secondly, in the East Anatolian Fault Zone extending from Göksun in Kahramanmaraş towards Adana.

Aksoy said that the aftershocks occurring in the continuation of the southern branch of this fault zone, in Hatay, Kahramanmaraş, around Çelikhan in Adıyaman, and between Malatya and the Sincik district of Adıyaman, will continue to be felt for some time.

Stating that there is an unbroken section in the East Anatolian Fault Zone from Palu, northeast of Elazığ, up to Bingöl, and that they foresee this carries a risk, Aksoy noted the following:

"Faults produce earthquakes when they accumulate enough energy and rupture. This is called the earthquake recurrence interval of faults, but we do not know this recurrence interval for faults that have not been studied. It is not possible to speculate on how often they produce earthquakes or what magnitude they produce."

Aksoy stated that the earthquake risk originating from both the North Anatolian Fault Zone and the East Anatolian Fault Zone is higher in Bingöl's Karlıova, saying:

"Being between two fault zones makes Tunceli and Bingöl riskier. Therefore, we can foresee that the risks originating from the two fault zones will continue for some time. The most risky section of the East Anatolian Fault Zone is between Gökdere and Bingöl. Because it has not produced an earthquake for a long time, this shows us the potential for it to produce an earthquake in the near future. Another fault segment that poses a risk for the region is Yedisu. The North Anatolian Fault Zone started from Erzincan and ruptured towards the west in the 1939 Erzincan earthquake. In the earthquake that occurred in 1992, the section from Erzincan to Yedisu was also ruptured. Therefore, since the section called the Yedisu segment has not ruptured for a long time—and an earthquake recurrence interval of about 230 years had been determined for that region—we can say that this fault segment also carries a risk because this interval has been exceeded."