5 faults with earthquake potential

Izmir Dokuz Eylül University (DEU) Earthquake Research and Application Center Director Prof. Dr. Hasan Sözbilir made evaluations on the 6th anniversary of the 6.6 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Seferihisar. Referring to the research they conducted after the earthquake, Prof. Dr. Sözbilir said, "We have obtained the earthquake history of all our faults within İzmir. According to the new data we have obtained in the last 5 years, it has been revealed that in addition to the İzmir Fault, faults such as the Tuzla Fault, Seferihisar Fault, Gülbahçe Fault and Bergama Fault have the potential to produce earthquakes in the near future."

In the 6.6 magnitude earthquake that occurred off the coast of Seferihisar on October 30, 2020, 117 people lost their lives and 1034 people were injured. Many apartment buildings and buildings were destroyed in the earthquake, causing extensive damage.

DEÜ DAUM Director, AFAD Scientific Board Member Prof. Dr. Hasan Sözbilir made evaluations just a few days before the anniversary of the earthquake. Prof. Dr. Hasan Sözbilir said, "As it is known, the 1999 Kocaeli and Düzce earthquakes are considered a turning point for Turkey. After that date, developing disaster awareness and risk reduction efforts as a society came to the fore. The 2011 Van, 2017 Bodrum and 2020 Elazığ and İzmir-Sasam earthquakes constantly reminded us that being prepared for an earthquake is vital. The 30 October 2020 Samos-İzmir earthquake was 70 years old from us." "It has shown that the Samos Fault in the submarine, located kilometers away, will cause loss of life and property and create a tsunami," he said.

HE DRAW ATTENTION TO THE FAULTS

Talking about the research they did after the earthquake, Prof. Dr. Sözbilir said, "As Dokuz Eylül University, we had the opportunity to examine our seismic resources in detail with the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) projects that we started in 2022. At this stage, we have obtained the earthquake history of all our faults within Izmir. According to the new data we have obtained in the last 5 years, it has been revealed that faults such as Tuzla Fault, Seferihsar Fault, Gülbahçe Fault and Bergama Fault, in addition to the Izmir Fault, have the potential to produce earthquakes in the near future." he said.

BUILDING STOCK INVENTORY AND INFRASTRUCTURE CONDITIONS OF THE LAST 50 YEARS WERE DISCUSSED

Continuing his statement, Prof. Dr. Sözbilir said, "The first 5-year actions of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Plans (IRAP) were implemented between 2021 and 2026. The second 5-year IRAP actions were prepared at the end of 2026. These actions are aimed to be completed in 2031. In addition, at the end of 2025, the 'Izmir Earthquake Master Plan' was launched in accordance with the protocol signed between Izmir Metropolitan Municipality and Dokuz Eylül University. Thus, the plan was made 25 years ago." and the revision of the first earthquake master plan, called the RADIUS project, will be completed in the light of the scientific and technological developments of 2026. In this context, the building stock inventory and infrastructure situations of the last 50 years have been discussed. In addition, the World Bank-supported 'Resilient Izmir' project has been launched under the coordination of AFAD, on a larger scale and covering all disasters. In these projects, what has been done so far, what should be done next, and the financial dimension of the work to be done. How will it be achieved? How should urban transformation studies be prioritized in this context? We have moved to a phase where multidisciplinary studies are carried out together by relevant public institutions and universities to answer all these questions. In short, we can say that disaster mobilization continues in all its aspects after the 2020 earthquake. If we can move forward at this pace, we, as İzmir, will have achieved serious resistance against disasters by 2030.