Earthquake Fault Lines in Turkey [UPSC Geography Notes]

In February 2023, Turkey and Syria were devastated by one of the worst earthquakes in recent times. Why is the region susceptible to terrible earthquakes? What are the fault lines in Turkey? Read on to know more about earthquake fault lines in Turkey in this article. This is an important topic for the IAS exam geography section.

Faults Lines in Turkey

Turkey is one of the nations most vulnerable to earthquakes since two of the world’s most dangerous fault lines are located beneath it.

• East Anatolian Fault System: From the southeast of Turkey to the northeast, the East Anatolian Fault System follows the eastern border of the Anatolian Plateau. It is a strike-slip fault system, in which the fault’s two sides slide past one another on a horizontal plane.
• North Anatolian Fault System: A strike-slip fault system, the North Anatolian Fault System stretches along the northern border of the Anatolian Plateau.
• Both these fault systems are regarded as some of the world’s most active and possibly deadly faults.

Image source: Financial Express

What is a fault line?

A fault line is a fracture or zone of fractures between two long-separated pieces of the earth’s crust.

• Tectonic activity, which releases energy in the form of earthquakes, is what moves the fault line.
• Based on the sort of movement that occurs along the fault, fault lines are categorized.
• There are three main types of fault lines: 
  • Strike-slip fault: It is characterized by horizontal movement along the fault line.
  • Reverse fault: It is characterized by vertical movement along the fault, where one block of crust moves up and over the other block. 
  • Normal fault: It is characterized by vertical movement along the fault, where one block of crust moves down relative to the other block.

What makes Turkey a hotbed of seismic activity? 

• Earthquakes are common in Turkey. Turkey’s proneness to earthquakes originates from its tectonic location.
• The Anatolian tectonic plate, which is wedged between the Eurasian and African plates, is where Turkey is situated.
• The tiny Arabian plate on the north side further limits motion.
• The North Anatolian fault (NAF) line, the meeting point of the Eurasian and Anatolian tectonic plates, is believed to be “especially deadly”.
• The tectonic boundary between the Anatolian Plate and the Arabian Plate, which is advancing northward, is the East Anatolian fault line.
• Moreover, the Aegean Sea Plate, which is submerged beneath southern Greece and western Turkey in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, contributes to the region’s seismic activity.

Also read: Why were the Turkey earthquakes so deadly? – CNA dated Feb 12, 2023

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