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Rescue workers continue recovery efforts in Turkey and Syria following a devastating series of earthquakes that began near the border of the two countries on Feb. 6.
Authorities say the death tolls has already surpassed 7,000 and will likely keep climbing, with an estimated 6,000 buildings toppled.
„We are facing one of the biggest disasters not only of the history of the Turkish Republic but also of … the world,“ Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday.
Because so many geological plates come together in that area, Turkey and Syria often see devastating quakes compared to more geologically stable areas.
Here’s what to know:What caused the earthquakes in Turkey, Syria?
The Anatolian Fault system: The border between Turkey and Syria lies near the Anatolian Fault system, where several geologic plates interact: the African, Anatolian (where Turkey sits), Arabian and the Eurasian.
Plates moving in different directions, different speeds: Turkey sits atop the small Anatolian tectonic plate, which itself sits between several other plates that are moving in different directions, putting pressure on the fault lines.
Similar to the San Andreas Fault in California: That fault borders the Pacific and North American plates and is the source of „The Big One,“ a legendary hypothetical earthquake that could devastate Los Angeles. Quakes in this areas are typically caused by faults moving horizontally, known as strike-slip faults.
How to visualize: It’s like squeezing a watermelon seed between your fingers — it stays in place until the pressure builds and the seed ultimately pops out, said Susan Hough, a California-based seismologist with the U.S. Geological Survey.
