Menu Close

Articles on Earthquakes

Displaying 21 - 40 of 273 articles

Turkey’s Adana Hospital survived February 2023 earthquakes with no damage because of its seismic isolation system. Earthquake Protection Systems, Inc.

Buildings left standing in Turkey offer design guidance for future earthquake-resilient construction

February earthquakes wreaked havoc across Turkey and Syria, killing tens of thousands of people. An engineer originally from Turkey describes what kept some buildings functional while others collapsed.
A woman does laundry at a tent city after the Feb. 6, 2023, earthquake in Turkey. Omer Urer/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

In Turkey, women are feeling the worst aftershocks of the earthquake disaster – this disparity may lead to dwindling trust in government

When government responses to a natural disaster do not address the specific needs and vulnerabilities of women and girls, women tend to lose trust in the institutions.
A placard placed by local activists in Calais, northern France, March 8, 2023. Rhetoric about the threat posed by climate-induced displacement does not accurately portray the reality for most of those affected. (AP Photo/Michel Spingler)

Fearmongering about people fleeing disasters is a dangerous and faulty narrative

Recognizing the challenges posed by climate-induced displacement is important. But officials must avoid rhetoric about displaced people that can fuel xenophobia.
Temporary shelters have been set up near neighborhoods in the Idlib province demolished by the Syria-Turkey earthquake. Omar Haj Kadour/ AFP via Getty Images

Syria’s earthquake survivors struggle in a disaster made far worse by civil war, bombed-out hospitals and currency collapse

The earthquake that struck Turkey and neighboring Syria on Feb. 6, 2023, was a natural disaster, but its consequences have been shaped by the human tragedy of the Syrian civil war.
Seismologists monitor the Earth’s activity, but they can’t predict a day, time and place for the next ‘big one.’ Christian Miranda/AFP via Getty Images

Seismologists can’t predict an impending earthquake, but longer-term forecasts and brief warnings after one starts are possible

The idea that scientists could warn a region that a big quake was coming at a certain time – with enough advance notice for large-scale preparation and evacuation – remains a dream, not a reality.
Rescue workers continue to clear rubble from collapsed buildings in Antakya, Turkey, six days after two powerful earthquakes caused scores of buildings to collapse. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Turkey and Syria earthquake: Long-term funding is needed to support search-and-rescue after major disasters

The devastating outcomes of earthquakes is worsened when buildings cannot withstand the impact. Also, increased urban density and new construction materials are complicating search-and-rescue efforts.

Top contributors

More