Earthquake Engineering Research Institute
Learning From Earthquakes

Earthquake Summary

February 9, 2018

A brief overview of the Eastern Turkey earthquake is provided below.

 DetailsSources
Magnitude 7.1 USGS
Time Sunday, October 23, 2011 at 10:41:21 UTC
Epicenter Latitude 38.691°N
Epicenter Longitude 43.497°E
Depth 16 km
Distances 16 km (9 miles) NNE of Van, Turkey
118 km (73 miles) N of Hakkari, Turkey
127 km (78 miles) SSE of Agri (Karakose), Turkey
929 km (577 miles) E of ANKARA, Turkey
Style of Fault almost EW oriented thrust earthquake CEDIM Forensic Earthquake Analysis Group -Turkey (Van) Earthquake – 24.10 0900CET — Report 1
Tectonics
  • Faulting dominated by compressional tectonics associated with the Bitlis Suture Zone, Zagros Fold, and the thrust belt of Iran.
  • Within about 70 km of the M7 earthquake on November 11, 1976 that killed about 3,900 people
Courtesy of Harley Benz from USGS
Aftershock Sequence
  • As of 31st October 2011, there have been over 1792 aftershocks greater than magnitude 2.
    • Over 7 aftershocks have been greater than magnitude 5:
    • M5.6 and M5.9 soon after the earthquake
    • M6.0 about 10 hours after the earthquake
    • M5.7 which caused much additional damage including collapsed houses.
CEDIM Forensic Earthquake Analysis Group -Turkey (Van) Earthquake – 24.10 0900CET — Report 4
Strong Motion Records
  • A few records are available. Click here for some websites with available records.
 
Age Statistics
  • 52% of the population of Van province are under 20 years old
  • 3% are older than 65 years old
  • 40% are children under 15, one third of them (13% of the total Van Province population) are from 0-4 years old.
ABPRS Database (State Institute of Statistics, Turkey)
Damage Statistics
  • 3 million TRY (around 1.66 million USD) is required for initial emergency relief
  • Red alert level for economic losses.
  • “Extensive damage is probable and the disaster is likely widespread. Estimated economic losses are less than 1% of GDP of Turkey. Past events with this alert level have required a national or international level response. Orange alert level for shaking-related fatalities. Significant casualties are likely.”–USGS PAGER System
USGS PAGER System

CEDIM Forensic Earthquake Analysis Group -Turkey (Van) Earthquake – 25.10 1500CET — Report 2

Death Toll
  • death toll is at 461 as of October 26, 2011
  • 1352 people injured
  • at least 125,400 people became homeless due to the earthquake
CEDIM Report on Shelter Needs

CEDIM Forensic Earthquake Analysis Group -Turkey (Van) Earthquake – 26.10 1500CET – Report 3

Homeless Estimation
  • at least 125,400 people became homeless due to the earthquake
Comparing the current impact of the Van Earthquake to past earthquakes in Eastern Turkey
Temporary Housing
  • Turkish Red Crescent is preparing to provide temporary shelter for around 50,000 people
  • 17,836 tents have been transported to the earthquake area
  • The Red Crescent mobilized 76,560 blankets, 1120 food packages, 10,064 food parcels, 36 mobile kitchens, 3051 kitchen sets, and 5139 catalytic stoves.
  • 3000 units of temporary housing have been planned for creation within a month
  • 16,500 container houses (4-8 person capacity) are going to be built as part of shelter phase before permanent reconstruction occurs
CEDIM Report on Shelter Needs

CEDIM Forensic Earthquake Analysis Group -Turkey (Van) Earthquake – 26.10 1500CET – Report 3

CEDIM Forensic Earthquake Analysis Group -Turkey (Van) Earthquake – 24.10 0900CET — Report 4

Search & Rescue Teams
  • 4400 search and rescue personnel
  • 860 medical personnel
  • 18 search dogs
  • 595 construction equipment and vehicles, including 140 ambulances, 7 rescue choppers, 33 generators and 95 portable toilets.
CEDIM Report on Shelter Needs
Damage to Infrastructure
  • 200 technical staff are undertaking preliminary assessment of buildings
  • 14,156 buildings either collapsed or were severely damaged
  • 17,923 buildings moderately or slightly damaged at this point in the preliminary assessment
  • Power supply and telecommunication broken down in Van and Ercis.
  • The airport of Van City is located at the lake shore, and has been damaged but seems operational now.
  • Soft story collapse regularly occurred in Turkish apartment buildings with the bottom story height higher than the stories above
  • Three- to seven-story concrete frame buildings with concrete flat slabs collapsed around urban centers of Ercis and Van.
  • Pancake collapses occurred where columns of multiple levels failed.
  • Weak column-beam connections and weak building materials such as understrengthed concrete hugely impacted building damage ratios
CEDIM Forensic Earthquake Analysis Group -Turkey (Van) Earthquake – 24.10 0900CET – Report 1.pdf

CEDIM Forensic Earthquake Analysis Group -Turkey (Van) Earthquake – 24.10 0900CET — Report 4