Lithospheric plates in Turkey have shifted by 3 meters. What does this mean and what does it threaten?

A series of earthquakes on February 6, 2023 led to the fact that the lithospheric plates separated by three meters. This has happened in the region of Turkey and Syria for the first time in 500 years. Such changes will affect the entire region: both the Black Sea and the Caucasus.

Scientists have long been aware that Turkey is located in a seismic zone — at the junction of two lithospheric plates. German Research Center for Geological Sciences (GFZ) in Potsdam has been engaged in seismic monitoring in this area since the 1980s. Then, according to the data, the risk of earthquakes was extremely high in the entire region around the Marmara Sea. Moreover, over the last quarter of a century, Turkey has already had seven earthquakes with a magnitude of 7 or more.

The earthquake that occurred on February 6, 2023 was an extraordinary seismological event not only for Turkey, but also for the whole world, through which a wave of earthquakes swept and do not stop. But what is the reason for this and to what extent does it threaten consequences in the future not only for Turkey, but also for other regions?

The Earth, unlike many other planets in the solar system, does not have a monolithic crust, but many separate lithospheric plates that drift in a viscous mantle. They usually shift by a few centimeters per year, which is normal. But sometimes these plates collide with each other.

As a rule, after a collision, the plates begin to press on each other, that is, tension arises between them, which increases until it begins to exceed their strength. As a result, a fault occurs or one of the polites begins to go under the other. That is, at this moment, the voltage is discharged, and as a result, the plates abruptly start moving. At the same time, those destructive tremors occur on the surface of the earth.

It is for this reason that the areas that are located at the junction of two lithospheric plates or at their edge are considered the most earthquake-prone. An example is Turkey, most of which is located on the Anatolian Plate, and the southwest is on the Arabian Plate. There is a deep tectonic fault between them.

Seismologists a few years ago said that the lithospheric plates on the territory of Turkey, in fact, are linked. Therefore, the earthquake was only a matter of time. According to experts, the Arabian plate has been pressing on the Anatolian plate for hundreds of years, as a result of which tension accumulates. Since there have not been powerful earthquakes in Turkey for a long time, a lot of energy has accumulated.

When this energy was released, the plates dispersed along a 150 km long fault, and within a few seconds they shifted to a distance of up to 3 meters, and in some places even more. That is, Turkey has actually moved to the southwest relative to Syria, as reported by Professor Carlo Doglioni, president of the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology.

According to the latest data from Italian seismologists, the displacement of the plates relative to each other occurred not only in the horizontal plane, but also vertically. Part of the territory of Turkey has dropped by 5-6 meters, as a result of which the country is now threatened with flooding.

In addition, a gorge with a depth of about 30 meters and a width of about 200 meters was formed at the site of the fault. But, most interestingly, the satellite recorded the movement of tectonic plates along the fault line even after an earthquake, which alarms scientists.

According to experts, the released energy that caused the earthquake is equal in strength to the explosion of 300 medium-sized atomic bombs. There has never been a sudden earthquake of such power on the territory of Turkey since the study of seismology.

The "charged" joint of two lithospheric plates "discharged", we can say "shot" occurred, which means that all the worst is over. But is it really over? Not really. Earthquakes of such power are not limited to one push. Aftershocks, or aftershocks, can last for days, months, or even years. But, fortunately, their strength is weakening every time.

But most of all, the public around the world was frightened by reports of earthquakes that simultaneously began to occur in various parts of the planet, on different continents. What is the reason for this? After such earthquakes, seismic waves occur, which bypass the Earth several times. They can provoke seismic activity in other regions that are completely unrelated to the lithospheric plates that caused the earthquake. But the most unpleasant thing is that they are capable of provoking volcanic activity.

However, scientists cannot predict the possible consequences of such earthquakes. As a matter of fact, it is impossible to predict even the earthquakes themselves, not to mention the consequences of seismic waves. Therefore, it remains only to observe the situation and hope for the best.