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We are deeply saddened to hear of the devastating earthquakes in Southern Turkey and Northern Syria.
We offer condolences to all those who have lost loved ones. Our thoughts are with people who may be struggling to contact friends and family as the situation continues to unfold.
Students and staff who have been affected by these events can find out how to access and also provide support via this page.
Academic comment
Our academic researchers are giving expert comment and analysis on the situation in Turkey and Syria. Any further updates will be posted below.
February 6 2023
Dr Jenny Jenkins, in our Department of Earth Sciences, has written for The Conversation UK to explain the Turkey and Syria earthquakes.
Read Dr Jenkins' full article here.
February 6 2023
Commenting on the 6 February earthquake in Southern Turkey and Northern Syria, Professor Bob Holdsworth, FRSE, FGS, in the Department of Earth Sciences, Durham University, said:
"The magnitude 7.8 earthquake in southern Turkey is the largest event of this magnitude in this region in modern times. It is all the more damaging as the region struck is relatively densely populated and lies close to northern Syria which has been ravaged by recent conflicts.
"The shallow depth of the event will also likely have increased its destructive power and the event was followed 11 minutes later by a substantial magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Further aftershocks of smaller magnitude are continuing and pose a significant risk to further collapse of buildings and other structures already damaged by the mainshock.
"A preliminary location of the earthquake by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) places the earthquake close to the junction between three tectonic plates: Anatolia, Arabia, and Africa. An early analysis of the event suggests that either the East Anatolia fault zone or the Dead Sea transform fault zone is responsible. These are major strike-slip faults similar to the San Andreas fault zone in the western US.
"The region where the 6February earthquake occurred is seismically active particularly the vicinity of the East Anatolia fault. Aleppo, in Syria, for example, has been devastated several times historically by large earthquakes, 1138 and 1822. It seems likely that the 6February event is at least as large in terms of magnitude and – tragically – the loss of life is likely to be substantial."
