1953 Yenice–Gönen earthquake

Tectonic setting

The tectonics of northern and eastern Turkey are dominated by the two strike-slip fault zones that accommodate the west to southwestward movement of the Anatolian Plate relative to the Eurasian plate and the Arabian plate as it is effectively being squeezed out by convergence between them. The quake occurred along the Yenice–Gönen Fault, which is a southern extension of the North Anatolian Fault Zone.

Damage and casualties

The quake had a surface-wave magnitude of 7.5 and it killed at least 1,070; 998 of those deaths were in Yenice, with another 50 in Gönen, 20 in Çan, and 3 in Manyas. The cost of repair was estimated at US$3,570,000. Several thousand buildings were affected in the Can-Yenice-Gonen area. Damage of intensity VI occurred at Sakarya (Adapazarı), Bursa, Edirne, Istanbul and İzmir. The quake was felt throughout the Aegean Islands and in much of mainland Greece, with damage occurring as far away as Crete. Shaking was also recorded in Bulgaria.

Although officials predicted the earthquake would cause only 265 deaths, it multiplied with a death toll seven times the number as expected.

Characteristics

Approximately 70 km of surface faulting occurred, with as much as 4.3 m of strike-slip (horizontal) faulting was observed by geologists east of Yenice.

Aftermath

The damage caused by this earthquake led to a new national reconstruction law in Turkey. In Greece the damage was severe enough that new building codes were introduced.

Future seismic hazard

Trenching and other fieldwork along the trace of the Yenice–Gönen Fault has identified three earthquakes before the 1953 event, about 1440 AD, between 620 and 1270 AD, and another event of uncertain age. These past events give a mean recurrence interval for large earthquakes of 660±160 years. This indicates that there is no significant current threat from ruptures along this fault zone.

Notes

References

1. NGDC. "Comments for the Significant Earthquake".
2. (2008-07-16). "Today in Earthquake History:March 18". United States Geological Survey.
3. Kürçer, A.. (2008). "The Yenice–Gönen active fault (NW Turkey): Active tectonics and palaeoseismology". Tectonophysics.
4. (1953-03-19). "Turkey Rocked; Deaths Set at 150". The Washington Post.
5. Ural, D.N.. "Emergency Management in Turkey: Disasters Experienced, Lessons Learned, and Recommendations for the Future".
6. (2010). "The Lighthouses of Greece". Pineapple Press Inc.