1668 North Anatolia earthquake
Northern Anatolia was struck by a large earthquake on 17 August 1668 in the late morning.[2] It had an estimated magnitude in the range 7.8–8.0 Ms and the maximum felt intensity was IX on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale.[1] The epicenter of the earthquake was on the southern shore of Ladik Lake.[1] It caused widespread damage from as far west as Bolu and as far east as Erzincan, resulting in about 8,000 deaths. It is thought to be the most powerful earthquake in Turkey.[3][4]
Tectonic setting
North Anatolia lies across the mainly transform boundary between the Anatolian Plate and the Eurasian Plate. Relative to the Eurasian Plate the Anatolian Plate is being forced westwards by the continuing northward movement of the Arabian Plate. This motion is accommodated by a major dextral (right lateral) strike-slip fault system, the North Anatolian Fault. This 1,500 km (930 mi) long structure extends from the Karlıova Triple Junction in the east to the Aegean Sea in the west. In detail the fault is formed of many separate segments. Movement on parts of this fault zone have been responsible for many large and damaging earthquakes. They tend to form overall westward propagating sequences that can last for many decades. The most recent sequence began with the 1939 Erzincan earthquake, continuing with major earthquakes in 1942, 1943, 1944, 1949, 1951, 1957, 1966, 1967, 1992 and two in 1999.[5]
Earthquake
Analysis of historical records suggests that the 17 August earthquake was preceded by a number of foreshocks at the western end of the rupture zone. The mainshock was very large, with an estimated magnitude ranging from 7.8 Ms (based on the size of the area affected by shaking of intensity VI) to 8.0 Ms (based on the interpreted rupture length).[6] The suggested rupture length varies from 380 km (240 mi)[1] to 600 km (370 mi).[6] In Tokat the earthquake was followed by at least six months of aftershocks.[4]
Evidence of a major earthquake at about this time affecting the full 600 km (370 mi) has been found by trenching across the fault at many localities. The 600 km length is based on the assumption that there was a single large event rather than several smaller events, but that would require a propagating rupture to jump across a major extensional stepover (lateral offset) of 10 km (6.2 mi) in the fault at Niksar. Despite evidence from past events, backed up by dynamic rupture modelling, that most earthquakes are unable to jump more than about 5 km (3.1 mi), the 2001 Kunlun earthquake shows clear evidence of propagating across a much wider stepover and this has been backed by further numerical modelling that suggests that ruptures can jump 8 km or more in the case of mature fault systems.[7]
The 1668 earthquake is regarded as probably the first in a mainly westward propagating sequence that continued into the 19th century, including events in 1719, 1754, 1766, 1859 and 1893.[8]
Damage
The town of Bolu was reported to be almost completely destroyed by the earthquake, with 1,800 fatalities. There was also severe damage further east along the fault, with another 6,000 reported casualties between Merzifon and Niksar.[9] Some damage was also reported from as far east as Erzincan and at various locations along the Black Sea coast. The walls and towers of Samsun Castle were damaged and some parts of the structure "were demolished".[4]
References
- ^ a b c d e "Tarihsel Depremler (Historical Earthquakes)". Boğaziçi University, Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute (in Turkish). Retrieved 1 February 2020.
- ^ Samsun İl Halk Library Manuscripts, no. 711, folio 1r.
- ^ "Historic Worldwide Earthquakes". United States Geological Survey. Archived from the original on 2009-08-25.
- ^ a b c Ambraseys, N. (2009). Earthquakes in the Mediterranean and Middle East: A Multidisciplinary Study of Seismicity up to 1900. Cambridge University Press. pp. 512–515. ISBN 9781316347850.
- ^ Stein, R. S.; Barka, A. A.; Dieterich, J. H. (1997). "Progressive failure on the North Anatolian fault since 1939 by earthquake stress triggering". Geophysical Journal International. 128 (3): 594–604. Bibcode:1997GeoJI.128..594S. doi:10.1111/j.1365-246x.1997.tb05321.x.
- ^ a b Albini, P.; Musson, R.M.W.; Gomez Capera, A.A.; Locati, M.; Rovida, A.; Stucchi, M.; Viganò, D. (October 2013). "Global Historical Earthquake Archive and Catalogue (1000-1903)" (PDF). GEM Technical Report 2013-01 V1.0.0. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 February 2020. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
- ^ Zabci, C.; Akyüz, H. S.; Karabacak, V.; Sançar, T.; Altunel, E.; Gürsoy, H.; Tatar, O. (2011). "Palaeoearthquakes on the Kelkit Valley Segment of the North Anatolian Fault, Turkey: Implications for the Surface Rupture of the Historical 17 August 1668 Anatolian Earthquake". Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences. 20: 411–427.
- ^ Şengör, A.M.C.; Tüysüz, O.; İmren, C.; Sakınç, M.; Eyidoğan, H.; Görür, N.; Le Pichon, X.; Rangin, C. (2005). "The North Anatolian Fault: A new look". Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences. 33: 37–112. Bibcode:2005AREPS..33...37S. doi:10.1146/annurev.earth.32.101802.120415.
- ^ Gündüz, A.; Türkmen, S.; Eryiğit, U.; Karaca, Y.; Aydın, M. (2013). "Is Turkey an Earthquake Country?". The Journal of Academic Emergency Medicine. 12: 33–37. doi:10.5152/jaem.2013.012.
- v
- t
- e
- AD 17 Lydia
- 115 Antioch
- 141 Lycia
- 262 SW Anatolia
- 447 Constantinople
- 526 Antioch
- 557 Constantinople
- 840 Erzurum
- 847 Damascus
- 1114 Marash
- 1269 Cilicia
- 1509 Constantinople
- 1513 Marash
- 1598 Amasya–Çorum
- 1653 Smyrna
- 1668 North Anatolia
- 1688 Smyrna
- 1766 Istanbul
- 1766 Marmara
- 1840 Ahora
- 1855 Bursa
- 1856 Heraklion
- 1859 Erzurum
- 1866 Bingöl
- 1872 Antioch
- 1875 Dinar
- 1881 Chios
- 1883 Çeşme
- 1893 Malatya
- 1894 Istanbul
- 1898 Balıkesir
- 1899 Aydın–Denizli
- 1903 Manzikert
- 1912 Mürefte
- 1914 Burdur
- 1919 Ayvalık
- 1924 Pasinler
- 1926 Kars
- 1929 Suşehri
- 1930 Salmas
- 1935 Erdek–Marmara Islands
- 1935 Digor
- 1938 Kırşehir
- 1939 Erzincan
- 1941 Van–Erciş
- 1942 Niksar–Erbaa
- 1943 Adapazarı–Hendek
- 1943 Tosya–Ladik
- 1944 Bolu–Gerede
- 1944 Gulf of Edremit–Ayvacik
- 1946 Varto–Hınıs
- 1949 Karlıova
- 1951 Kurşunlu
- 1952 Hasankale
- 1953 Yenice–Gönen
- 1957 Fethiye
- 1957 Abant
- 1964 Manyas
- 1966 Varto
- 1967 Mudurnu
- 1968 Bartın
- 1969 Alaşehir
- 1970 Gediz
- 1971 Bingöl
- 1975 Lice
- 1976 Çaldıran–Muradiye
- 1983 Erzurum
- 1983 Biga
- 1986 Malatya
- 1992 Erzincan
- 1995 Dinar
- 1998 Adana–Ceyhan
- 1999 İzmit
- 1999 Düzce
- 2002 Afyon
- 2003 Bingöl
- 2004 Doğubayazıt
- 2010 Elazığ
- 2011 Kütahya
- 2011 Van
- 2014 Aegean Sea
- 2017 Aegean Sea
- 2019 Istanbul
- 2020 Elazığ
- 2020 Van
- 2020 Bingöl
- 2020 Aegean Sea
- 2022 Düzce
- 2023 Gaziantep–Kahramanmaraş