Month: February 2023

Why The 2023 Türkiye–Syria Earthquakes Are Leaving Scores of People Homeless

Why The 2023 Türkiye–Syria Earthquakes Are Leaving Scores of People Homeless

02/19/23

“Why are the 2023 Türkiye–Syria Earthquakes Leaving Scores of People Homeless?”

The 2023 Türkiye–Syria Earthquakes have demolished much of the built environments in both countries. Many people are now forced to find shelter because their homes have been shaken to the ground. This has been a feature of past earthquakes in Türkiye. In 1999, the Izmit Earthquake left over a quarter-million people homeless. This is Why The 2023 Türkiye–Syria Earthquakes Are Leaving Scores of People Homeless.

As of writing, victims of the 2023 Türkiye – Syria earthquake are continuing to face great difficulties in their daily life. To make a difference, please make a donation to organizations such as the Syrian White Helmets and the Anatolian Arts Institute Earthquake Relief Fund. My friends are also connecting donations to small municipalities and vetted organizations through the venmo account @earthquake-relief. Anything you send will go a long way.

Why the Richter Scale Is Not Always the Best Way to Measure Earthquakes

Why the Richter Scale Is Not Always the Best Way to Measure Earthquakes

02/18/22

“Why is the Richter Scale not always the best way to measure earthquakes?”

The Richter scale is one of the most common ways to measure earthquakes around the world. It’s based on taking the logarithm of the maximum amplitude of a seismic wave. However, this doesn’t capture what makes an earthquake so drastic. First of all, it doesn’t look into how continuous shaking over a longer period of time may cause intense pain. Also, The Richter scale measures earthquake from 0 to 10, and anything above 10 and below 2 is usually not well captured. Furthermore, it doesn’t look into how large the surrounding population is and how fragile is local infrastructure. A quake of a smaller magnitude can cause more damage if there are more people and buildings are in worse shape. This is Why the Richter Scale Is Not Always the Best Way to Measure Earthquakes.

Why Earthquake Safety Instructions are Important for Students

Why Earthquake Safety Instructions are Important for Students

02/17/23

“Why is it important for students to learn about earthquake safety?”

Countries all over the world are prone to earthquakes, from the Bosphorus to the San Francisco Bay. These disasters can strike at any time and wreak havoc on the community. Children are especially vulnerable to these events. To help prepare them, they need to learn about how to respond to earthquakes in school. This is Why Earthquake Safety Instructions are Important for Students.

Earthquake Aftershocks

Earthquake Aftershocks

02/16/23

“What are earthquake aftershocks and why can they be so lethal?”

When earthquakes occur, it’s often talked about as if it’s just a big one-time event. However, minor adjustments along the fault that slipped can occur soon after and induce Earthquake Aftershocks. These earthquake aftershocks can cause great damage to already weakened infrastructure. The over 2,100 aftershocks that occurred in the 2023 Türkiye–Syria Earthquake were a primary reason why so much devastation occurred.

As of writing, victims of the earthquake are continuing to face great difficulties in their daily life. To make a difference, please make a donation to organizations such as the Syrian White Helmets and the Anatolian Arts Institute Earthquake Relief Fund. My friends are also connecting donations to small municipalities and vetted organizations through the venmo account @earthquake-relief. Anything you send will go a long way.

Why the 2023 Türkiye–Syria Earthquake Is Leading to a Disease Outbreak

Why the 2023 Türkiye–Syria Earthquake Is Leading to a Disease Outbreak

02/15/23

“Why is the 2023 Türkiye–Syria leading to a disease outbreak?”

Infrastructure across Southeastern Türkiye and Northwestern Syria has been pulverized by the 2023 earthquake. Water sanitation has been no exception. As clean water has been made undeliverable, survivors are finding it hard to wash themselves and stay away from diseases. In addition, the little local water people are able to find is likely not purified and full of pathogens and parasites. Pulling everything together, it’s clear Why the 2023 Türkiye–Syria Earthquake Is Leading to a Disease Outbreak.

Why the Aftershock Quakes Made the 2023 Türkiye–Syria Earthquake Particularly Intense

Why the Aftershock Quakes Made the 2023 Türkiye–Syria Earthquake Particularly Intense

02/14/23

“Why did the aftershock quakes make the 2023 Türkiye–Syria Earthquake particularly intense?”

Southeastern Türkiye and Northwestern Syria woke up the morning of February 6th to a brutal magnitude 7.8 earthquake. While a quake of that size would devastate any community, what followed made it especially gruesome. Soon after, a magnitude 7.5 earthquake hit a region slightly to the north. These were followed by over 2,100 aftershocks that further rumbled the ground. Structures that were built to survive an earthquake were weakened and destroyed by the onslaught of follow-up shakings. This is Why the Aftershock Quakes Made the 2023 Türkiye–Syria Earthquake Particularly Intense.

Why it is Difficult to Deliver Earthquake Relief Aid to Syria

Why it is Difficult to Deliver Earthquake Relief Aid to Syria

02/13/23

“Why is it difficult to deliver earthquake relief aid to Syria?”

The Northwestern Syrian province of Idlib has been a warzone for over a decade now. The Assad regime and Russia’s bombing campaigns have forced over 4.1 million Syrian civilians to flee to this patch of rebel-held territory. The recent (as of writing) earthquake has only made matters worse. While there is a strong desire to send aid, delivering it is greatly difficult. Why is this so?

To understand, we need to learn a bit about the ongoing civil war and genocide in Syria. The Assad regime considers any international aid being brought from other countries such as Türkiye to be a violation of its sovereignty. Currently, there is only one border pass, Bab al-Hawa, where aid is allowed to flow through. The Assad regime’s backers, Russia and China, have used their veto powers at the U.N. Security Council to block more aid routes into Syria from Türkiye.

When the earthquake struck, the road through the crossing border was severely damaged. This is Why it is Difficult to Deliver Earthquake Relief Aid to Syria. With the cold winter in place, please make a donation to the Syrian White Helmets.

Why Türkiye is Incredibly Prone to Earthquakes

Why Türkiye is Incredibly Prone to Earthquakes

02/12/23

“Why is Türkiye incredibly prone to earthquakes?”

The nation of Türkiye holds many geographic wonders. From the high coasts of the black seas to the straights of the Bosphorus to the caves of Kappadokia, there’s always something to behold. But how did it get this way? Well, it all has to do with the fact that the nation sits mostly within one tectonic plate (the Anatolian plate) that’s squished between the major Eurasian and African plates and the more minor Arabian plate. Earthquakes happen when these plates get unstuck from friction from one another. Given the many plate boundaries, it’s clear Why Türkiye is Incredibly Prone to Earthquakes.

Türkiye’s Earthquake Tax

Türkiye’s Earthquake Tax

02/11/23

“Why does Türkiye have a special earthquake tax and how can you help recovery efforts?”

In 1999, a devastating earthquake near Istanbul claimed the lives of more than 17,000 people in Türkiye. To fund future recovery work, the government introduced a special earthquake tax called the Special Communications Tax. By charging a fee on the use of internet and mobile phone telecommunications, Türkiye’s Earthquake Tax has raised (adjusted for inflation) over $36 billion in a fund.

As of writing, there is no strong signal that the Erdoğan regime is using this funding for recovery work. To make a difference, please make a donation to ahbap, the Syrian White Helmets and the Anatolian Arts Institute Earthquake Relief Fund. My friends are also connecting donations through the venmo account @earthquake-relief.