Turkey

Kocaeli

Regional

7.4 M_w

X MSK

0.163 g

The Izmit earthquake had a rupture length of 150 kilometers extending from the city of Düzce all the way into the Sea of Marmara along the Gulf of İzmit. Offsets along the rupture were as large as 5.7 meters.

The earthquake occurred along the western portion of the North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ). The Anatolian Plate, which consists primarily of Turkey, is being pushed west about 2–2.5 cm a year, as it is squeezed between the Eurasian Plate on the north, and both the African Plate and the Arabian Plate on the south. Major earthquakes in Turkey result from slips along the NAFZ or the Eastern Anatolian Fault.

International

10,000 - 100,000 km²

> 100,000

> 10,000

> 10,000

> 100 M USD

The Kocaeli Earthquake was one of the most devastating natural disasters in the modern history of Turkey. The earthquake caused about 17500 fatalities and 44000
injured, affected 15 million people, and resulted in a total property damage of
over 15 billion USD. The area struck by the earthquake is one of the industrial
heartlands of the country; it is densely populated and heavily industrialized,
accounting for 35 % of the gross national product. The earthquake caused significant structural damage, and machine and equipment loss at industrial facilities, which led to many natech events ranging from small-sized hazardous substance releases to
enormous fires.