Varendra Saith
On February 6, 2023, at approximately 4.17 am, central Turkey and northern Syria were rocked by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake, centered around Turkey's Pazarcik district in the Kahramanmaras province. Amongst the strongest quakes to hit the region, the natural disaster has already been estimated to claim over 51,100 lives (as of February 28).
Since the main shock, Turkey has also experienced over 100-plus aftershocks, the strongest being a 7.6 tremor nine hours after the main quake. Fifteen days later, a 6.4 earthquake occurred, with its epicentre in Turkey’s Hatay Province. Scientists estimate that these aftershocks could continue for months after the main event, further compounding the damage done to the region.
Why did such a disaster occur? The answer lies in plate tectonics.
Tectonic plates are enormous slabs of the Earth's crust that float on top of the Earth's Mantle. They are able to move due to a number of mechanisms, such as lateral density variations and differences in mechanical strength between the lithosphere and athenosphere, which are different layers of the Earth.
Turkey is located on the intersection of three tectonic plates: the Anatolian, the Arabian and the African plates. The Arabian plate is currently moving northwards, which causes the Anatolian plate (which Turkey sits on) to rotate counter-clockwise and move westwards, as it is being impeded from moving northwards by the Eurasian Plate.
[caption id="attachment_1005980" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Tectonic map of the Anatolian Plate (Courtesy USGS, University of Berkeley) -[/caption]
This creates a couple key geological features, most notably the East Anatolian Transform Fault, a left lateral strike slip fault system and the North Anatolian Fault system, a right lateral strike slip fault system. The interaction of these plates creates an active seismic zone, with the Anatolian transform fault system estimated to be the most active system in the world, with over 70 earthquakes of 6.5 or higher since 1900.
As the Anatolian plate slides past the Arabian Plate, stresses build up on the fault zone. At some point, the stresses would overcome the friction holding it back, resulting in a sudden movement, which causes earthquakes. The February 6 disaster is likely to have occurred along the East Anatolian Fault zone, evident by the aftershocks having their epicentres within the fault zone itself.
Now, why is this significant for TT?
Like Turkey, Trinidad resides on the boundary between the Caribbean Plate and the South American Plate. This plate margin is currently active, where the Caribbean Plate is currently moving eastward past the South American Plate at a rate of 22 mm per year (Pérez, O.J. et al. (2001).
Similar to the East Anatolian Fault Zone, the southern boundary of the Caribbean-South American plate interaction is a transform zone, with elements of subduction and thrusting present. The Caribbean - South American Plate Boundary actually bisects the island of Trinidad, where the El Pilar Fault Zone a
