Earthquake tremors have been felt 109 times in the last 36 hours in Turkey in the Middle East. More than 4300 people have died in Turkey and Syria due to the earthquake. Many cities in Turkey and Syria have turned into rubble. Cross border earthquakes are once again in the news after earthquake damage in Turkey and Syria.
Cross border earthquake means- the epicenter of the earthquake should be around the border of any two countries. Nepal and Tibet in 2015, while Iraq and Iran in 2017 were hit by cross-border earthquakes.
In this story we will know in detail why cross border earthquakes are dangerous, but first let us know from scientists why earthquake tremors are being felt again and again in Turkey…
1. Turkey located in the middle of three plates- Turkey is located between the Arabian, Anatolian and African plates. In such a situation, whenever a plate slips, it collides with each other. Because of this earthquake tremors are felt there again and again.
According to British geologist Stephen Hicks, the Arabian Plate is slipping 11 cm every year. In such a situation, the load on the Anatolian Plate was increasing. This time the reason for the earthquake is the Anatolian Plate.
2. Turkey rests on the fault of the Anatolian plate- British geologist David Rothery, talking to the scientific journal Nature, said that most of Turkey rests on 2 faults of the Anatolian plate. The first fault is located in the north and the second in the east.
The reason for the earthquake is the sliding of the Anatolian plate in the eastern part of Turkey. Rothery explains- Every year the eastern part of the Anatolian plate was slipping up to 2 cm, which has now become much more.
On the other hand, the tectonic plate of Syria and Arabia is repeatedly colliding with the northern Anatolian plate. There is a lot of space between the plates, due to which this collision is happening more rapidly, hence earthquakes are happening there again and again.
Could the danger of earthquake be prevented?
American geologists recently published a report warning the Turkish government. In 1997 also, there was a terrible earthquake in Turkey, in which more than 17 thousand people died. After this many rules regarding building construction were made in Turkey.
But the government has completely failed to implement it. Erdeg Mustafa, a civil engineer at Boggis University in Turkey, says – all the buildings that have been destroyed by the earthquake were built after the year 2000. This could have been prevented if the government had enforced rules.
Now know why cross border earthquake is dangerous?
The effect of cross border earthquake is directly on two countries. If the intensity of the earthquake is around 7 on the Richter scale, then both the countries are harmed.
It is easy to understand- In 2015 there was an earthquake on the border of Nepal and Tibet. The intensity of the earthquake on the Richter scale was 7.3. 8000 people died due to earthquake in Nepal, while 27 people died and 856 people were injured due to earthquake in Tibet.
In Iraq and Iran also in 2017, there was a lot of damage due to cross border earthquake. At that time strong earthquake tremors were felt from the Kurdish city of Halabja in Iraq to Kermanshah province of Iran. Then 630 people had died in both the countries together and more than 8 thousand people were injured.
