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The North Anatolian Fault (NAF) (Turkish: Kuzey Anadolu Fayı) is one of the most energetic earthquake zones in the world. Turkey is set on a minor tectonic plate which is being squeezed westwards as the Arabian and the Eurasian plates move together. The Anatolian Plate is grinding past the two plates at a rate between 1 and 20 cm per year. The NAF is a transform fault or right lateral strike-slip fault and crosses Turkey east to west. It is located about 20 km south of Istanbul.
Recent events
Izmit Earthquake of 1999
Significant earthquakes along the fault
Since the disastrous 1939 Erzincan earthquake, there have been seven earthquakes measuring over 7.0 on the Richter scale, each has happened at a point progressively further west. Seismologists studying this pattern, believe that earthquakes happen in "storms" over a number of decades and that one earthquake triggers the next. By analysing the stresses caused along the fault by each earthquake, they were able to forecast a disturbance that hit the town of Izmit with such devastating effect in August 1999. It is thought that the chain is not complete, and that an earthquake will soon strike further west along the fault - perhaps in the heavily populated city of Istanbul.
| Event | Moment Magnitude |
|---|---|
| 1939 Erzincan | 7.9 |
| 1942 Niksar-Erbaa | 6.9 |
| 1943 Tosya | 7.7 |
| 1944 Bolu-Gerede | 7.5 |
| 1949 Karlıova | 7.1 |
| 1951 Kurşunlu | 6.8 |
| 1957 Abant | 6.8 |
| 1966 Varto | 6.6 |
| 1967 Mudurnu | 7.0 |
| 1971 Bingöl | 6.8 |
| 1992 Erzincan | 6.5 |
| 1999 İzmit Earthquake | 7.4 |
| 1999 Düzce Earthquake | 7.1 |
External links
"North Anatolian Fault"