Japanese scientists conclude landmark study on Kahramanmaraş earthquake

World-renowned Japanese scientists have completed their studies on the earthquake that affected 10 cities, centered in Kahramanmaraş, which is one of the biggest disasters that Türkiye has experienced.

The scientists, who referred to it as the "disaster of the century," conducted field research on the earthquakes, focusing on issues such as building damages, soil examination, structural dynamics, and earthquake behavior in the region.

Professor Dr. Yoshiyuki Kaneda from Kagawa University said, "The earthquakes experienced in Kahramanmaraş are extremely rare due to occurring with a time difference of 9 hours. Sensitive structures and soft ground caused significant damage during the earthquake. The Kumamoto earthquake in Japan in 2016 occurred with a delay of two days. In the 1854 Nankai Trough earthquake, the eastern and western sides of the Philippine sea plates slipped past each other with an approximate time difference of 32 hours."

Prof. Dr. Kaneda stated ''It is essential to be prepared for earthquakes, especially along the North Anatolian Fault, including the Marmara earthquake.''

The seismic intensity of an earthquake depends on the characteristics of the ground and the strength of the interaction with structures.

The Marmara earthquake is particularly concerning due to the possibility of causing significant damage to densely populated Istanbul. Disaster prevention education is of utmost importance.

We will stand by the people affected by disasters in Türkiye and work together to reduce the damage caused by future earthquake catastrophes.

Prof. Dr. Kaneda summarized how Japan managed to withstand major earthquakes with minimal damage: As someone who has experienced numerous earthquakes in Japan, we have undertaken various preparations, including making structures earthquake-resistant.

For instance, constructing buildings in compliance with building standards, conducting evacuation drills, identifying evacuation centers, and performing tsunami evacuation exercises are among the various measures and practices we have implemented.

Fumihiko Imamura from Tohoku University pointed out that earthquakes continue to occur after fault ruptures, stating the following: The Erzincan earthquake that occurred on the North Anatolian Fault is considered the first in a series of significant earthquakes migrating westward.

Subsequent large and destructive earthquakes have predominantly progressed westward, approaching Istanbul with the 1999 earthquake.

Although aftershock activity diminishes over time, the duration of seismic shocks depends on the regional circumstances.

For the series of earthquakes progressing like a domino effect along the North Anatolian Fault, we can roughly anticipate that the impact of the 2023 earthquake will persist for the next decade.