A 6.0 magnitude earthquake shook eastern Turkey on Monday. At least 38 are reported to have been killed, with dozens of others injured. At least 38 people are reportedly dead after a powerful earthquake shook eastern Turkey on Monday. The 6.0 magnitude quake centered on the village of Basyurt in Elazig province. It was followed by 20 aftershocks, the strongest measuring 4.1. Bekir Yanilmaz, the mayor of the town of Kovancilar, was quoted on television saying at least 38 people died in three villages in the region. The Disaster and Emergency Adminstration had earlier given the official toll at 20, with 60 people injured. Mud-brick houses Much of the population of the region lives in mud-brick houses built on hillsides, reports said.
At least 38 people are reportedly dead after a powerful earthquake shook eastern Turkey on Monday.
The 6.0 magnitude quake centered on the village of Basyurt in Elazig province. It was followed by 20 aftershocks, the strongest measuring 4.1.
Bekir Yanilmaz, the mayor of the town of Kovancilar, was quoted on television saying at least 38 people died in three villages in the region. The Disaster and Emergency Adminstration had earlier given the official toll at 20, with 60 people injured.
Mud-brick houses
Much of the population of the region lives in mud-brick houses built on hillsides, reports said.
anecdotal... ~"When an inner situation is not made conscious, it appears outside as fate." Karl Jung~
Three earthquakes per week all larger than 8.5 magnitude randomly distributed across the globe, that would be abnormal. And yet not -entirely- unlikely.
Last time we run that exercise (for Chile) there was nothing abnormal.
... The Year v. Magnitude plot is interesting. First, historical earthquakes (before 1900) are all Magnitude 8.5 or stronger. Also, 5 of them earthquakes are exactly 8.5 magnitude, 4 of them before 1900. This is because historical magnitudes are estimated from accounts of the damage and not from seismograph measurements. Also, earthquakes weaker than 8.5 "didn't make history". So there is a selection bias in the old data, similar to the ones one find in astrophysics where the farther out one looks the bighter an objects needs to be to be seen. ...
...
The Year v. Magnitude plot is interesting. First, historical earthquakes (before 1900) are all Magnitude 8.5 or stronger. Also, 5 of them earthquakes are exactly 8.5 magnitude, 4 of them before 1900. This is because historical magnitudes are estimated from accounts of the damage and not from seismograph measurements. Also, earthquakes weaker than 8.5 "didn't make history". So there is a selection bias in the old data, similar to the ones one find in astrophysics where the farther out one looks the bighter an objects needs to be to be seen.
USGS: Earthquake Facts and Statistics
Frequency of Occurrence of Earthquakes Magnitude Annually 8+ 1 * 7 - 7.9 17 * 6 - 6.9 134 * 5 - 5.9 1,319 * 4 - 4.9 13,000 (estimated) 3 - 3.9 130,000 (estimated) 2 - 2.9 1,300,000 (estimated) * Based on observations since 1900.
Magnitude Annually 8+ 1 * 7 - 7.9 17 * 6 - 6.9 134 * 5 - 5.9 1,319 * 4 - 4.9 13,000 (estimated) 3 - 3.9 130,000 (estimated) 2 - 2.9 1,300,000 (estimated) * Based on observations since 1900.
