Implications for Earthquake Risk Reduction in the United States From the Kocaeli, Turkey, Earthquake on August 17, 1999.
Implications for Earthquake Risk Reduction in the United
States From the Kocaeli, Turkey, Earthquake on August
17, 1999.
(5907 K)
Holzer, T. L.; Barka, A. A.; Carver, D.; Celebi, M.;
Cranswick, E.; Dawson, T.; Dieterich, J. H.; Ellsworth,
W. L.; Fumal, T.; Gross, J. L.; Lamgride, R.; Lettis, W.
R.; Meremonte, M.; Mueller, C.; Olsen, R. S.; Ozel, O.;
Parsons, T.; Phan, L. T.; Rockwell, T.; Safak, E.;
Stein, R. S.; Stenner, H.; Toda, S.; Toprak, S.
U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1193; 69 p. 2000.
Sponsor:
National Institute of Standards and Technology,
Gaithersburg, MD
Available from:
For more information contact: U.S. Geological Survey,
Information Services, Box 25286, Federal Center, Denver,
CO 80225
Keywords:
earthquakes; death; injuries; building collapse;
disasters; forecasting; geology; shock waves;
deformation
Abstract:
The moment magnitude (Mw) 7.4 Kocaeli, Turkey,
earthquake struck the Kocaeli province of northwestern
Turkey on Tuesday, August 17,1999, at 3:02 a.m. local
time. The cause of the earthquake was the sudden
breakage, or rupture, of the Earth's crust along a
western branch of the 1,500-km-long North Anatolian
fault system. The total length of the fault rupture was
about 110 km. The region hit by the earthquake is the
industrial heartland and the most densely populated
section of Turkey. According to official Turkish
government estimates, the earthquake caused 17,127
deaths and 43,953 injuries, and displaced more than
250,000 people. Approximately 121 tent cities were
required for emergency housing. Approximately 214,000
residential units and 30,500 business units were lightly
to heavily damaged. Most of the collapsed and damaged
buildings were of reinforced concrete construction.
Their poor performance was due primarily to the poor
quality of construction and failure to enforce the local
building code. Peak ground accelerations recorded close
to the fault were below average for a Mw 7.4 event. The
earthquake's strong velocity pulse and long duration,
however, were important factors in the collapse of and
damage to residences. Immediately following the
earthquake, the USGS was invited by the Kandilli
Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute of
Bogazici University in Istanbul, Turkey, to assist in
its post-earthquake investigations. Teaming up with
representatives from the National Institute of Standards
and Technology and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the
reconnaissance teams documented the following
implications for earthquake risk reduction in the United
States.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899