Earthquake Massacre

Science World, Nov 1, 1999 by Van Neistat

SAFETY CODES

Scientists say another major difference between quakes in Turkey and the U.S. stems from differences in the countries' building codes.

Building safety is a vital concern for both seismologists and engineers (see sidebar, right). In the U.S., strict building codes have already saved thousands of lives. In 1994, a magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck Northridge, California, near Los Angeles. At $15 billion in damages, it was one of the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history. But Northridge was also one of the best-prepared areas in the world in terms of earthquake building safety. Despite leaving 12,500 structures (including roads and highways) moderately to severely damaged, the quake claimed only 57 lives.

Unfortunately, many Turks who lost loved ones in the August quake now suspect that faulty buildings are largely to blame for their country's high death toll. "The contractors who put up these buildings have committed mass murder," said Saadettin Tantan, Turkey's Interior Minister. The people of Turkey hope that in the future, officials will take stricter measures to ensure their safety. But hope offers little consolation in the wake of this year's overwhelming disaster.

Where Faults Lie

MAP AT RIGHT: This map shows the six worst quakes to strike North and South America in the 20th century. All struck along Earth's major tectonic plate boundaries, where the Pacific and Nazca plates slide against continental plates.

MAP BELOW: This map of Turkey shows the epicenter of last August's devastating quake. This century, epicenters have moved westward along the North Anatolian fault. Why? The Arabian plate forces the Turkish Microplate westward while the Eurasian plate moves eastward. Result: enormous pressure creates continual quakes on the North Anatolian fault.

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Quake Proof Buildings

Both Turkey and the U.S. require builders in at-risk earthquake areas to employ new construction technologies. These include shock-absorbing foundations (see below) to prevent structural damage. While U.S. contractors face harsh fines if they don't comply with building codes, Turkish engineers are now studying collapsed buildings in their country to see whether or no contractors, in order to save money, ignored safety codes.

Rubber and steel stacks (a) placed below buildings allow structures to sway without collapsing.

Shock absorbers inside walls (b) and sliding foundations (c) also help keep buildings from cracking.

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