2011 Van earthquake
 |
|
 |
|
| Date | 23 October 2011 |
|---|---|
| Origin time | 13:41 (EEST) (UTC+03.00) |
| Magnitude | 7.1 Mw |
| Depth | 7.2 kilometres (4.5 mi) |
| Epicenter | 38°37′41″N 43°29′10″E / 38.628°N 43.486°ECoordinates: 38°37′41″N 43°29′10″E / 38.628°N 43.486°E |
| Areas affected | Turkey |
| Max. intensity | VIII (Severe) |
| Peak acceleration | ~0.5 g |
| Aftershocks | 9,367 |
| Casualties | 604 killed and 4,152 injured in 23 October earthquake 40 killed and 260 injured in 9 November earthquake |
The 2011 Van earthquake occurred in eastern Turkey near the city of Van on 23 October at 13:41 local time. The shock had a moment magnitude of 7.1 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). It occurred at a shallow depth, causing heavy shaking across much of eastern Turkey and lighter tremors across neighboring parts of the South Caucasus and Levant. According to Disasters and Emergency Situations Directorate of Turkey AFAD on 30 October, the earthquake killed 604 and injured 4,152. At least 11,232 buildings sustained damage in the region, 6,017 of which were found to be uninhabitable. The uninhabitable homes left as much as 8,321 households with an average household population of around 7.6 homeless in the province; this could mean that at least around 60,000 people were left homeless. The other 5,215 have been damaged but are habitable.
The magnitude 7.2 (Mw) Eastern Highlands earthquake occurred inland on 23 October 2011 at 13:41 local time, centered about 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) north-northeast of Van, Turkey and at an estimated focal depth of 7.2 kilometres (4.5 mi). Its focal region and much of easternmost Turkey lie towards the southern boundary of the complex zone of continental collision between the Arabian Plate and the Eurasian Plate, beyond the eastern extent of the Armenian and Asia Minor fault zones. Part of the convergence between these two plates takes place along the Bitlis-Zagros fold and thrust belt. The earthquakes's focal mechanism indicates oblique thrust faulting, consistent with the expected tectonics in the region of the Bitlis-Zagros Fault Zone, where thrust mechanisms dominate.
The size of the rupture has been estimated as 60 km x 20 km, consistent with the observed distribution of aftershocks, on a WSW-ENE orientated fault plane with a dip of about 35°. An offset of about 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) has been estimated at 10–15 kilometres (9.3 mi) depth but there is no visible rupture of the ground surface. The rupture lasted for about 50 seconds.
...
Wikipedia