Why the earthquake in Turkey, Syria was so devastating - ednews.net

Why the earthquake in Turkey, Syria was so devastating

07.02.2023 09:36 Analytical Wing A- A A+

More than 2,000 people died and thousands more were injured following a massive earthquake that hit Gaziantep, a town in south-eastern Turkey near the Syrian border early Monday morning. Additional aftershocks, including one almost as strong as the initial quake, made this an especially disastrous event. Registering as a 7.8 magnitude earthquake, the Gaziantep event is classified as a "major" earthquake and resulted in significant damage to the region.

It broke out near a fault line, which is a region where tectonic plates meet. In this case, Jessica Turner, a geologist from the U.S. Geological Society (USGS) said the region is at a three-way meeting between faults, called the Anatolian fault zone area, where the African, Anatolian and Arabian plates come together, which increases the risk for devastating earthquakes. It's also a densely populated area, which increases the danger of destruction and loss of life.

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