[97510] Update to Turkey's seismic risk map: 215 new active faults discovered
[97510] Update to Turkey's seismic risk map: 215 new active faults discovered
Turkey's geological authorities have updated the country's active fault map, reporting a significant increase in their number. At the same time, an earthquake was felt in the Düzce region and in the city of Istanbul.
Update to Turkey's seismic risk map
The General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration in Turkey (MTA) has published a significant update to the map of active faults in the country. According to reports by Gündem Hattı, the number of known active faults has increased from 485 in 2013 to 700 today, following the addition of 215 new locations as a result of detailed studies.
Prof. Şevket Özden, director of the Earthquake Technologies Institute at Erzincan Binali Yıldırım University, noted that the new faults are located primarily around existing active fault zones in northern and eastern Anatolia. According to him, these findings may lead to changes in engineering calculations and regional risk analyses according to Gündem Hattı.
On the other hand, geologist Prof. Osman Bektaş sought to reassure the public and noted that the definition of the new faults does not necessarily indicate an increase in the risk level, but rather provides more accurate and realistic data for the authorities. Bektaş emphasized that the earthquake scenarios in Istanbul do not change as a result of these data, as the main source of risk in the city remains the 'North Anatolian Fault' within the Sea of Marmara.
In parallel with the research developments, the Haber Gündem channel reported on an earthquake that occurred in Düzce Province, which was also felt in the Hendek district of Sakarya and in Istanbul. The reports come against the backdrop of warnings from experts like Prof. Süleyman Pampal, who estimates that the number of known active faults may cross the 1,000 threshold in the future as geological studies progress.