Here is a video showing the North Anatolian Fault Zone (around the place where the 1999 Izmit earthquake happened) volkansevilgen, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=px-EPnLgzKg
Since the beginning of civilization, earthquakes have played a role in shaping the history of Turkey. Archeologists have suggested that ancient Troy's impenetrable walls may well have been destroyed, not by an invading army, but by a catastrophic earthquake.
In the last century, major earthquakes wreaked havoc in Turkey more than 13 times. In 1999, the latest series of earthquakes destroyed infrastructure in the most industrialized regions of the country and caused $10 billion in damage.
Worse still, the quakes caused more than 15,000 deaths and left 650,000 people homeless. Large piles of rubble were the only remains of many grand buildings built using concrete and brick. Experts say that nearly all of the fatalities and injuries were due to building collapse.
In the wake of the 1999 earthquakes, Turkish officials have expressed their desire to improve building standards and introduce new construction technologies. Officials have sponsored and attended earthquake safety conferences. Interest in new technology is high.
Turkish interest in new construction technology presents an opportunity that resonates with solid wood and building component producers in the United States--which is, after all, among the most earthquake prone countries in the world.
Experiences in California have taught U.S. engineers and builders many lessons. One of the most important lessons is that wood-frame structures like those used in 95 percent of American homes are inherently more resistant to earthquake damage than other types of construction.
Wood-frame houses are more flexible and can absorb and deflect shocks that would cause more severe damage in structures built of more rigid materials. The light weight of the wood-frame structures, as well as wood's natural flexibility, tends to dissipate the motion that results in collapse. This natural advantage, when teamed with special construction techniques such as plywood panel bracing in wall framing, helps to prevent tragic collapses that can bury occupants in rubble.
Today, Turkey is buzzing with major reconstruction efforts, Billions of dollars are being spent to rebuild areas destroyed in 1999; more will be spent over the next few years.
While most of the new construction will continue to use such traditional materials as brick and concrete, the post-earth-quake environment has substantially fanned interest in wood-frame technology.
This spells opportunity for U.S. companies experienced in wood-frame construction and interested in helping Turkey adopt wood-frame construction technology. Moreover, wood-frame construction could translate into sales for U.S. suppliers of solid wood products and engineered components.
The Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) is working in partnership with First Renaissance Ventures, Wickes International and APA-The Engineered Wood Association to promote awareness and understanding of U.S. wood products and technologies in the Turkish residential market through FAS' Emerging Markets Program.
Verdu is director of research at First Renaissance Ventures, Washington, D. C.
Bomersheim is a marketing specialist in FAS's Forest and Fisheries Products Division.
Determining the Anatomy of an Earthquake
Immediately following the Turkish earthquake, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) was invited to assist in post-earthquake investigations. The findings are summarized in "Implications for Earthquake Risk Reduction in the United States from the Kocaeli, Turkey, Earthquake of August 17, 1999," U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1193.
Promoting Wood Awareness in Turkey
The Foreign Agricultural Service, in partnership with the team of First Renaissance Ventures, Wickes International and APA-The Engineered Wood Association, has introduced a new program to promote understanding of U.S. wood products and technologies the Turkish residential market. The program is:
* Providing professional and technical services to the Turkish residential construction market;
* Building demonstration homes showcasing wood-frame construction products and technologies;
* Developing an exhibit booth and attending key building shows in Turkey;
* Sending U.S. experts to Turkey to meet key construction parties;
* Bringing Turkish officials to the United States to view the residential construction market; and
* Preparing materials to help Turkish builders understand these products and technologies.
COPYRIGHT 2001 U.S. Department of Agriculture
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group
posted @ 6:17 AM |
n e w s p a pe r a r t i c l e
Mark Lacey, In Turkey, Clinton Offers Quake Relief And Comfort, The New York Times, November 17, 1999
ISTANBUL, Nov. 16— It was a familiar scene: President Clinton consoling disaster victims, promising a swift rebuilding effort and pledging federal assistance. The difference today was that the disaster in question struck halfway around the world.
Using the same approach he employs after hurricanes, tornadoes and other disasters close to home, Mr. Clinton visited a tent city about 50 miles east of Istanbul set up for survivors of the earthquake that struck in August, killing more than 17,000. An earthquake on Nov. 12 claimed hundreds of lives in Duzce, 115 miles east of Istanbul.
In a camp inhabited by 9,000 victims on the outskirts of Izmit, Mr. Clinton bounced a baby in his arms, sipped Turkish coffee in one family's tent and listened attentively as survivors described their struggles.
''What is the most difficult thing about living in this tent?'' Mr. Clinton asked a woman holding an infant inside her living quarters. She complained of the cold weather outside and humidity inside. The green military-style tent, normally used to shelter 10 soldiers, had become the temporary home for 17 members of the Gencenler family.
''We're grateful for you letting us into your home,'' Mr. Clinton said when he exited. As a steady rain fell, he walked through the encampment with his wife, Hillary, who talked with people about their children, and the Clintons' daughter, Chelsea. At one point Chelsea held a 2-year-old boy named Betul in her lap.
Ismail Yoldas, the father of three children, told the Clintons about the moment the earthquake struck on Aug. 17. ''I saw a beam fall and the next thing I knew I awoke in the hospital,'' he said. Mr. Yoldas expressed his ''honor and happiness to meet the president.'' His twin daughters smiled and answered yes when Mrs. Clinton asked if they liked the makeshift school set up in the camp.
''Welcome to Clintion,'' said a sign painted by a young boy in the kindergarten tent.
''The children of America are thinking of you,'' Mr. Clinton told the 20 youngsters packed inside for lessons. After a translation from the teacher, the children thanked Mr. Clinton and then sang a Turkish children's song about a little bird.
Mr. Clinton reassured the survivors who excitedly surrounded him that the American government would help them rebuild their lives. Already, the United States has donated $14.5 million in relief assistance as well as thousands of tents, blankets, rolls of plastic sheeting and portable latrines. In a grim reminder of the earthquake's toll, the United States government has also shipped 10,000 body bags to Turkey.
''We could imagine what our lives would be like if such a thing were to happen to us, as we have seen it happen to families in the United States,'' Mr. Clinton said.
In the aftermath of last week's quake in Duzce, Mr. Clinton said, an additional 500 tents have been sent to provide thousands of victims with shelter through the winter.
The death toll from Friday's earthquake rose to 547, the Turkish government said today. It put the number of injured at 3,300.
To promote rebuilding efforts at both quake sites, Mr. Clinton said that the Federal Emergency Management Agency would teach local officials disaster response skills and that the Export-Import Bank would extend $1 billion in loan guarantees to companies that invest in Turkey.
Mr. Clinton also used the earthquake, one aide said, to engage in ''seismic diplomacy'' to try to ease regional tensions. Earthquakes in both Turkey and Greece have prompted rare cooperation between the longtime antagonists, a process that Mr. Clinton said had created ''a genuine opportunity for fundamental and enduring reconciliation between your two lands.''
On the third day of a 10-day swing through southeastern Europe, Mr. Clinton used every chance he could to encourage Turks to put past animosities aside.
''We were so impressed that a total of 87 other countries came forward to help the people of Turkey who were hurt in the earthquake,'' Mr. Clinton told quake survivors and relief workers after his tour of Izmit. ''And we were very grateful that one of the countries that came forward to help was your neighbor, Greece. And then, when the Greeks had their earthquake, the Turkish people came forward to help them.''
But Mr. Clinton's main message to the victims was similar to the one he delivers at every disaster scene, whether it is a North Carolina town ravaged by a hurricane, a string of communities in Arkansas leveled by a tornado or a distant nation struck by an earthquake.
''We will stay with you and work with you,'' Mr. Clinton said. ''I just want to urge you to keep your spirits up, keep the smiles on your children's faces, keep helping the people who lost their loved ones in the earthquake and know that together we will get through this to better days.''
Over the past quarter of a century, I have studied several earthquakes in Turkey. As an active seismic zone, Turkey frequently experiences devastating shaking. Again and again, buildings collapse, people and animals die, houses and settlements are rebuilt, and the public soon forgets. In the 1970 Gediz, the 1976 Lice, the 1983 Erzurum-Kars, the 1992 Erzincan, the 1995 Dinar, and the 1998 Ceyhan-Adana disasters, the emergency response was fairly consistent and predictable. Survivors on the scene were the first to begin search and rescue, with their bare hands, without lifting equipment, listening devices, sniffing dogs, or lights in the darkness. Local press and visual media were quickly on the scene, followed hours later by foreign search and rescue teams, then even later by NGOs (non-governmental organizations) and governmental organizations. Usually the Prime Minister and/or President quickly arrive on the scene, asking the victims to accept this "act of God," and promising that the settlements and homes will be rebuilt quickly.
The initial response to the 03:02 hours, August 17 earthquake in Turkey was similar to the above response. The Prime Minister’s national crises action center reportedly was activated on day one, followed by provincial and township crises center activation. But here is where this earthquake is different. The event was centered in Turkey’s industrial and heavily populated region surrounding the Marmara Sea. About 15 million urban people, including some of the wealthiest, best trained, best educated, and professional elitist reside in the roughly 200 km belt stretching from Duzce (Bolu) in the east to Tekirdag in the west. Quickly, television and newspaper reporters descended on the scene and were broadcasting to the nation from town after town that suffered casualties and damages. Thousands of buildings were destroyed, and thousands of people died (15,032 officially, but an estimated 30,000 are unaccounted for). Professional search and rescue efforts were slow to respond, and the public viewed this live without censorship. For about two days, live cameras showed the enormous strain on the survivors and the lack of government or military response. The press was exceptionally critical about the lack of Turkish search and rescue and the slow response of the military to help. Several days after the earthquake, a reportedly 50,000 soldiers (asker) were helping in the disaster area. Many people perceived a disproportional amount of rescue equipment taken to the naval base at Golcuk.
The basic difference from all other earthquake disasters in Turkey is that the populace has mobilized massive public opinion that questioned the government and military institutions in Turkey. For the first time to my knowledge, the Army was consistently criticized for its lack of timely action (one person said the Army could have at least responded and helped direct the chaotic traffic resulting from people fleeing the area and thousands traveling to the area to search for family or friends) and credibility of the government. Governmental criticism was directed toward its inability to quickly and adequately respond for search and rescue, and for its alleged acceptance of or condoning corrupt contractors and builders. Local, provincial, and national officials were openly criticized as greedy people who took bribes and willingly permitted violations of zoning codes and construction codes.
On the positive side, unlike any past disaster events, there was overwhelming displays of humanitarian gestures from Greece. Greek-Turkish relations appear to have greatly warmed and improved due to the Greek response to the situation. The Greek Prime Minister, along with the mayor of Athens, quickly visited the site and conveyed personal condolences to the Turkish people. Additionally, a Greek search and rescue team, doctors, and volunteers for blood donations, along with an outpouring of Greek towns and clubs sending best wishes and various money and material donations, poured into Turkey .
In summary, this earthquake clearly demonstrated that improperly constructed buildings kill people. It also showed that Turkey is in dire need of an emergency management plan that is effective from top down, and bottom up. It needs to be created from scratch and practiced frequently. Further, the mind set of "fatalism" needs to be openly debated and studied. Finally, bribery and corruption need to be addressed and corrected. Shutting down a newspaper for a week because it "demoralized the public with its news coverage (The Radikal was very critical of the government response and it did show very disturbing scenes from the victims)" will not correct the problem. This time, Turkey suffered a great loss, but the densely populated city of Istanbul (except for Avciler and about 900 people), with its 9 plus million people, escaped massive destruction and a high number of deaths. Severe earthquakes have been marching down the North Anatolian fault for years, traveling from the east to the west. Each one has gotten closer to Istanbul. The August 17 disaster may be a catalyst that motivates appropriate preparation for the next "big one."
posted @ 8:13 AM |
Friday, February 26, 2010
t h e İ z m i t e a r t h q u a k e
The İzmit earthquake happened on August 17, 1999; at about 3.01a.m. local time. This earthquake struck northwestern Turkey (Canakkale Province), western portion of the North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ), but also caused considerable damage to Istanbul, which is about 70 km away from the earthquake’s epicenter.
The Anatolian Plate (which consists mainly of Turkey) is being pushed to the west about 2 to 2.5cm a year. The Anatolian plate and the Eurasian plate slid past each other, causing the earthquake. The damages that occurred during the earthquake were also the result of a long surface rupture on the NAFZ.
The İzmit earthquake has a 7.4 magnitude, which is one of the greatest magnitudes of earthquakes that Turkey has experienced.
There were 17,127 fatalities and 43,959 casualties from this earthquake. Electricity was cut off for the first two days after the earthquake happened. Reports have shown that 122, 000 poorly engineered houses have collapsed or damaged beyond repair and 54, 000 houses were severely damaged. Other damaged properties include oil refineries, several oil automotive plants and the Turkish navy headquarters and arsenal in Golcuk. This earthquake cost more than $20 billion in damage.
The Turkey government, in response to this earthquake, sent teams to rescue the survivors. They also sent engineers to evaluate the damages and to think of how the buildings’ structures can be improved. They also requested its Ministry of Environment to develop a national emergency response centre to develop an integrated response to potential natural disasters.
In my opinion, to minimize damages from such events, the Turkey government should educate the public about on to improve the structures of their houses so that they can withstand the earthquake. They should also invest more money in improving the quality of materials used in constructing buildings.
HISTORY GEOGRAPHY INTEGRATED ASSIGNMENT. NOTE TO TEACHER: THE NEWS REPORT IS IN THE EARLIEST POST. PROFILE TAY ZHI YA ESTHER. (31) 21 JAN 97 CHIJ St Nicholas' Girls School
