‘Most severe deformation seen in last 2,000 years’

KAHRAMANMARAŞ

A displacement of 7.3 meters has occurred in the Earth’s crust as a surface rupture over 400 kilometers was experienced, a senior official of Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) has stated, adding this has been the most severe deformation seen in the last 2,000 years.

The Feb. 6’s quakes were among the biggest earthquakes experienced in the Anatolian geography in the last 2,000 years, Orhan Tatar stated, adding that the total duration of the impact of the two earthquakes spread over just two minutes.

“The Earth’s crust was shaken quite severely during both earthquakes for a two-minute period. We know that the displacement in the earth’s crust is up to 7.3 meters,” Tatar explained, adding that over 400 kilometers of surface rupture occurred in these earthquakes.

“The deformation of about 7.5 meters corresponds to the largest deformation that we have experienced in the last 2,000 years and occurred as a result of an earthquake,” he pointed out.

Stating that the earthquakes were effective in an area of 110,000 square kilometers, Tatar pointed out that the impact area of these earthquakes was larger than the surface area of many European countries.

Tatar pointed out that a quite intense series of aftershocks still affect the region, saying, “We are facing an unusual situation.”

“The total number of aftershocks has been measured at 3,858 so far. Even in the minutes we speak, the number may exceed 3,900,” Tatar said, adding that some 38 tremors were between magnitude 5 and 6.