Turkey's active fault map released: 485 dangerous fault lines identified
There are 485 active fault lines across 45 provinces in Turkey capable of producing earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.5 or greater. The Turkey Active Fault Map, published by the MTA, has detailed the highest-risk regions and fault lines.
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According to the Turkey Active Fault Map published by the MTA, there are 485 active fault lines across 45 provinces in the country capable of causing earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.5 or greater. Turkey is located on the North Anatolian, East Anatolian, and West Anatolian fault line belts.
The East Anatolian Fault begins at the Maraş Triple Junction at the northern end of the Dead Sea Rift and ends at the Karlıova Triple Junction, where it joins the North Anatolian Fault. This fault line extends from Hatay to Erzincan. The North Anatolian Fault Line starts from the Gulf of Saros and continues to the Aras Valley, passing through Gelibolu, the Sea of Marmara, the Gulf of İzmit, Düzce-Bolu, Gerede, Merzifon, Suluova, Erbaa-Niksar, the Kelkit Valley, Erzincan, Erzurum, Varto, and Van. In the Aegean Region, there are active fault lines in the Bakırçay, Gediz, and the Küçük and Büyük Menderes graben basins.
According to the MTA's map, the longest active fault line is located on the North Anatolian Line. While there are no active faults in Istanbul and Ankara, the active fault lines located around these provinces pose a risk.
Regions by Risk Level are as follows:
First-Degree Risk Regions: İzmir, Balıkesir, Manisa, Muğla, Aydın, Denizli, Isparta, Uşak, Bursa, Bilecik, Yalova, Sakarya, Düzce, Kocaeli, Kırşehir, Bolu, Karabük, Hatay, Bartın, Çankırı, Tokat, Amasya, Çanakkale, Erzincan, Tunceli, Bingöl, Muş, Hakkari, Osmaniye, Kırıkkale, Siirt.
Second-Degree Risk Regions: Tekirdağ, Istanbul, Bitlis, Kahramanmaraş, Van, Adıyaman, Şırnak, Zonguldak, Afyon, Samsun, Antalya, Erzurum, Kars, Ardahan, Batman, Iğdır, Elazığ, Diyarbakır, Adana, Eskişehir, Malatya, Kütahya, Çankırı, Uşak, Ağrı, Çorum.
Third-Degree Risk Regions: Eskişehir, Antalya, Tekirdağ, Edirne, Sinop, Istanbul, Kastamonu, Ordu, Samsun, Giresun, Artvin, Şanlıurfa, Mardin, Kilis, Gaziantep, Kahramanmaraş, Sivas, Gümüşhane, Bayburt, Kayseri, Yozgat, Çorum, Ankara, Konya, Mersin, and Nevşehir.
Lowest Risk Regions: Sinop, Giresun, Trabzon, Rize, Artvin, Kırklareli, Edirne, Nevşehir, Niğde, Aksaray, Konya, and Karaman.