Laboratory and theoretical studies suggest that earthquakes are preceded by a phase of developing slip instability in which the fault slips slowly before accelerating to dynamic rupture. The tsunami caused the deaths of 155 people.[13]. The fire began at a state-owned tank farm and was initiated by naphtha that had sloshed out of a holding tank. The shock had a moment magnitude of 7.6 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). The event lasted for 37 seconds, severely damaging the city of İzmit. Thousands of people were killed, and large parts of a number of mid sized towns and… … Because most of the casualties resulted from the collapse of residential buildings, there was a strong public outcry against private contractors, who were accused of poor workmanship and of using cheap, inadequate materials. The 1999 İzmitearthquakewas an approximately 7.4 magnitudeearthquake that struck northwestern Turkeyon August 17, 1999. (17 August 1999 İzmit earthquake) p. 41 (The Mw 7.4 İzmit earthquake occurred on Aug. 17, 1999 at 3:02 a.m. local time, in the Eastern Marmara region, northwestern Turkey; epicenter was at 40.745⁰N and 29.96⁰E, several km. Source: USAID[15]. Number of Earthquakes Worldwide for 1999… The 1999 Düzce earthquake occurred on 12 November at 18:57:22 local time with a moment magnitude of 7.2 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX, causing damage and at least 845 fatalities in Düzce, Turkey. A massive international response was mounted to assist in digging for survivors and assisting the wounded and homeless. The following table shows the breakdown of rescue teams by country in the affected locations: Search and Rescue Effort as of 19 August 1999. Izmit, Turkey - houses a harbour 87 km southeast of Istanbul. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/event/Izmit-earthquake-of-1999, Columbia University - Lamount-Doherty Earth Observatory - Izmit Earthquake and Marmara Sea, Southern California Earthquake Center - Izmit Earthquake, Turkey. southeast of İzmit) Only earthquakes of magnitude 6 or above are included, unless they result in damage and/or casualties, or are notable for some other reason. A magnitude of 7.2 was computed for this earthquake. The earthquake, which occurred on the northernmost strand of the North Anatolian fault system, struck just after 3:00 am local time. Offsets along the rupture were as large as 5.7 meters (18.7 ft). Oil Spill Response Limited were activated by BP to deploy from the United Kingdom to the Tupras Refinery where their responders successfully contained the previously uncontrolled discharge of oil from the site into the sea. After the quake international support came to the area including former United States President Bill Clintonwho visited the people who had been affected from the quake … I returned home after work and was planning to watch TV. The epicenter was approximately 7 miles (11 km) southeast of Izmit, an industrial city approximately 56 miles (90 km) east of Istanbul. [citation needed] India also assisted by providing 32,000 tents and 2 million rupees to help in the reconstruction process. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. The initial shock lasted less than a minute and registered a magnitude of 7.4. Some Islamic leaders in Turkey gave a very important speech in the summer of 1999, during which they talked about the earthquake that happened in Turkey. Map of northwestern Turkey depicting the fault lines running between the Anatolian Block and the Eurasian Plate and the location of the epicentre of the İzmit earthquake of Aug. 17, 1999. Learn more about 1999 Izmit Earthquake and it's massive destruction. Rescue teams were dispatched within 24–48 hours of the disaster, and the assistance to the survivors was channeled through NGOs and the Red Crescent and local search and rescue organizations. Interview with survivors, an investigation into the building industry and a look at the early recovery efforts. İzmit earthquake of 1999, also called Kocaeli earthquake or Gölcük earthquake, devastating earthquake that struck near the city of İzmit in northwestern Turkey on August 17, 1999. Monday, August 23, 1999 Published at 19:59 GMT 20:59 UK World: Europe The tales of the earthquake survivors One tiny life: Ismail Cimen, pulled from the rubble after 140 hours Amid the death and destruction wrought by the earthquake in Turkey, there have been a handful of incredible tales of survival. [9], The earthquake was heavily felt in this industrialized and densely populated urban area of the country, including oil refineries, several automotive plants, and the Turkish navy headquarters and arsenal in Gölcük, increasing the severity of the loss of life and property. According to them as reported by many Turkish newspapers and the BBC, the purpose of this earthquake (and Allah knows best) was a party that was held on the beach in Turkey in one of the naval bases. The source mechanism is purely strike-slip faulting on a vertical E-W fault [Barka, 1999; Tu¨ysu¨z and Genc, 1999; C¸emen et al., 2000]. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Buildings damaged by the İzmit earthquake in Turkey, 1999. [12], The earthquake caused a tsunami in the Sea of Marmara that was about 2.5 meters high. Scientists developed a computer model that predicted the deadly August 1999 Izmit earthquake in northern Turkey. Founded in 712 BC - scene of the 1999 Earthquake (7.4 on richter scale) which devastated the region and killed more than 19,000 people and leaving many more homeless. The most powerful earthquake to hit Turkey has left at least 1,000 people dead. The 1999 earthquake also terminated with a 4 m offset at the western end at the Karamürsel basin. The Izmit earthquake had a rupture length of 150 kilometers (93 mi) extending from the city of Düzce all the way into the Sea of Marmara along the Gulf of İzmit. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The Anatolian Plate, which consists primarily of Turkey, is being pushed west about 2–2.5 cm (0.8–1.0 in) a year, as it is squeezed between the Eurasian Plate to the north and the Arabian Plate to the south. [citation needed], US President Bill Clinton[17] and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif later visited Istanbul and İzmit to examine the level of destruction and meet with the survivors. High casualty figures were reported in the towns of Gölcük, Derince, Darıca, and Sakarya (Adapazarı). DUZCE TURGUT OZAL ANADOLU LİSESİ Subject: 17 August 1999 Earthquake Students; Canberk Özer 10-A 199 Ömer Güner Demir 10-A 118 Nur Şevval Kuru 10-A 32 Çiğdem Kaya 10-A 52 Teacher; İlkay GÜLENÇ SOURCE In the middle of nowhere and darkness Casualties : 18,373 dead; 48,901 injured 1999-08-17 00:01:39 (UTC) | 40.748°N 29.864°E | 17.0 km depth It was followed by two moderate aftershocks on August 19, about 50 miles (80 km) west of the original epicentre. More than 17,000 people were killed and an estimated 500,000 left homeless as thousands of buildings—chief among them the Turkish navy headquarters in Gölcük and the Tüpraş oil refinery in İzmit—collapsed or were heavily damaged. Tuesday, August 17, 1999 Published at 06:44 GMT 07:44 UK World: Europe Earthquake rocks Turkey Buildings have been flattened in several cities Turkish rescue workers are searching the rubble of collapsed buildings after a powerful earthquake hit the densely populated north-west of the country early on Tuesday morning. Its epicentre was about 7 miles (11 km) southeast of İzmit. The Kocaeli 1999 Earthquake with an Mw = 7.4 caused major hazards throughout the NW of Turkey from Tekirdag to Bolu. The epicenter was approximately 100 km to the east of the extremely destructive 1999 İzmit earthquake that happened a few months earlier. At around 3 o'clock in the morning of Saturday August 14, Kanieh Topal woke in her three-storey apartment block in the western suburbs of Izmit to hear a strange sound. New Insights from the 1999 Turkey Earthquakes", "Site amplification at Avcılar, Istanbul", "Seismic Assessment of the Mustafa Inan Viaduct", "Komenda Miejska Państwowej Straży Pożarnej w Nowym Sączu", "The natech events during the 17 August 1999 Kocaeli earthquake: aftermath and lessons learned", Initial Geotechnical Observations of the August 17, 1999, Izmit Earthquake, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1999_İzmit_earthquake&oldid=997009883, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2019, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2018, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 29 December 2020, at 16:23. “It’s actually quite difficult to explain how one’s life can be turned upside down within a matter of seconds. Aircraft were called in to douse the flames with foam. The rescue and relief effort was spearheaded by the Turkish Red Crescent and the Turkish army, with many international aid agencies joining in. 1999: Turkey hit by huge earthquake. Thousands of people were killed, and large parts of a number of mid-sized towns and cities were destroyed. Some contractors were criminally prosecuted, but very few were found guilty. The 1999 İzmit earthquake (also known as the Kocaeli, Gölcük, or Marmara earthquake) occurred on 17 August at 03:01:40 local time in northwestern Turkey.The shock had a moment magnitude of 7.6 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent).The event lasted for 37 seconds, killing around 17,000 people and left approximately half a million people homeless. A report on the Turkish Izmit Earthquake in August 1999 and a report from the city of Adapazari on its reconstruction and relocation in the years since the disaster. Blankets, medical supplies and food were flown from Stansted airport. The following other wikis use this file: Usage on az.wikipedia.org İzmit zəlzələsi (1999) Usage on da.wikipedia.org İzmit-jordskælvet 1999 The fire was declared under control five days later after claiming at least seventeen tanks and untold amounts of complex piping. This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate. Now Playing: {{itm.title}} Farther west, in Istanbul, the earthquake caused hundreds of fatalities and widespread destruction. On 17 August 1999, an earthquake in northwestern Turkey killed around 17,000 people and left more than 250,000 people homeless. [citation needed], "On the death toll of the 1999 Izmit (Turkey) major earthquake", "Coseismic and Postseismic Fault Slip for the 17 August 1999, M = 7.5, Izmit, Turkey Earthquake", "How Fast is Rupture During an Earthquake ? The earthquake, which occurred on the northernmost strand of the North Anatolian fault system, struck just after 3:00 AM local time. [6] Major earthquakes in Turkey result mainly from slip along the NAFZ or the East Anatolian Fault. devastating earthquake that struck near the city of İzmit in northwestern Turkey on Aug. 17, 1999. WESTERN TERMINATION OF THE 1999 İZMİT EARTHQUAKE RUPTURE 384 Introduction Th e Mw 7.4, 17 August 1999 İzmit earthquake (M o 1.7–2.0 x 1020 Nm) was not a surprise because westward migrating earthquakes had already taken place along the North Anatolian Fault (NAF) all the way from Erzincan to the İzmit region, breaking Omissions? [5] Reports from September 1999 show that 120,000 poorly engineered houses were damaged beyond repair[citation needed] and approximately 20,000 buildings collapsed, resulting in more than 250,000 people becoming homeless after the earthquake. On Nov. 12, 1999, Duzce was rocked by a 7.1-magnitude earthquake which lasted 30 seconds, killing 710 people and injuring 2,679. However, earlier earthquakes in 1719, 1754, 1878, and 1894 occurred in the Gulf of Izmit . The fire spread over the next few days, warranting the evacuation of the area within three miles of the refinery. Corrections? [1], An official Turkish estimate of 19 October 1999 placed the toll at 17,127 killed and 43,959 injured, but many sources suggest the actual figure may have been closer to 45,000 dead and a similar number injured. The Eastern and most senior capital city of the Roman Empire between 286-324 AD. [7], From the timing of P-wave and S-wave arrivals at seismometers there is strong evidence that the rupture propagated eastwards from the epicentre at speeds in excess of the S-wave velocity, making this a supershear earthquake. Breakage in water pipelines, results of the quake, nullified attempts at extinguishing the fire. İzmit earthquake of 1999, also called Kocaeli earthquake or Gölcük earthquake, devastating earthquake that struck near the city of İzmit in northwestern Turkey on August 17, 1999. The event lasted for 37 seconds, severely damaging the city of İzmit. : 17 Ağustos 1999 İzmit depremi yüzey kiriği, 2003: t.p. Both strike-slip earthquakes were caused by … Compared to other years. On 17 August 1999, an earthquake in northwestern Turkey killed around 17,000 people[5] and left more than 250,000 people homeless. The immediate support offered by Greece led to a thaw in the often-contentious relationship between the two neighbouring countries. w = 7.4, 17 August earthquake is located close to Izmit [Tokso¨k et al., 1999; Barka, 1999] (Figure 1). Date: circa 1906 İzmit earthquake of 1999— also called  Kocaeli earthquake  or  Gölcük earthquake        devastating earthquake that struck near the city of İzmit in northwestern Turkey on Aug. 17, 1999. The shock had a moment magnitude of 7.6 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership. All dates are listed according to UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) time. Aftermath of the 1999 Izmit earthquake and a look at poor building construction. [16], The U.K announced an immediate grant of £50,000 to help the Turkish Red Crescent, while the International Red Cross and Red Crescent pledged £4.5 million to help victims. During the 20th century, only the 1943 Hendek earthquake with a magnitude of 6.4 affected the rupture zone of the 1999 earthquake. Avcılar was built on relatively weak ground mainly composed of poorly consolidated Cenozoic sedimentary rocks, which makes this district vulnerable to any earthquake. The west ward movement also increased for about 100km (between 1957 and 1967) more after a short period of slowed activities and further separation of the ruptures during the period around when Izmit earthquake occurred (Hansen 2001).The Izmit earthquake took place on 17th August 1999 on the Anatolian fault area and according to the Kandili Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute … Thousands of people were killed, and large parts of a number of mid-sized towns and cities were destroyed. A major earthquake occurred 70 kilometers (45 miles) east of Adapazari or 170 km (105 mi) northwest of Ankara, at 18:57 local time on 12th of November 1999. …the epicentre of a devastating earthquake, which killed more than 17,000 people, injured more than 40,000, and destroyed or seriously damaged hundreds of thousands of buildings.…. Updates? [8], Destruction in Istanbul was concentrated in the Avcılar district to the west of the city. Historical data indicates that some of the earthquakes around Izmit Bay have caused tsunamis. In this study, tsunami research for the Kocaeli 1999 Earthquake has been made also taking into consideration historical data. Thousands of people were killed, and large parts of a number of mid-sized towns and cities were destroyed. The 7.4 magnitude quake occurred along the … The earthquake also caused considerable damage in Istanbul, about 70 kilometres (43 mi) away from the earthquake's epicenter. Saturday is the 20th anniversary of the August 17, 1999, 7.9-magnitude earthquake that struck the northwestern province of Kocaeli, killing at least 17,480 people as it devastated the city centre of İzmit and impacted an area large enough to include Istanbul. [11], The earthquake sparked a disastrous fire at the Tüpraş petroleum refinery. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. This is a list of earthquakes in 1999. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). [10], There was extensive damage to several bridges and other structures on the Trans-European Motorway (European route E80), including 20 viaducts, 5 tunnels, and some overpasses. Engineers from Thames Water went to help restore water supplies. Damage ranged from spalling concrete to total deck collapse. This earthquake is located about 110 km (70 miles) east of the magnitude 7.4 main shock on August 17 which killed over 17,000 people and injured another 50,000 around Izmit. An EQE Briefing—1999 Izmit, Turkey Earthquake (M7.4) GENERAL OVERVIEW A 45-second earthquake of Richter magnitude 7.4 (M7.4) occurred in Turkey on Tuesday, August 17, 1999 at 3:01 a.m. local time. The event lasted for 37 seconds, killing 15,135 people and leaving approximately half a million people homeless. Public opinion also condemned officials who had failed to enforce building codes regarding earthquake-resistant designs. 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