An American seismologist called the sequence of earthquakes in Turkey "unusual"

Anadolu:   American seismologist Judith Hubbard called the sequence of destructive earthquakes with an epicenter in the Turkish province of Kahramanmarash "unusual".

A seismologist who studies earthquakes at the Department of Geology at Cornell University in New York, called it surprising that an earthquake of magnitude 7.8 (according to measurements in the United States) was followed by an earthquake of magnitude 7.5. "This could be a kind of trigger. This is not a very common phenomenon. I am sure that this was the reason for its more destructive effect," the seismologist noted.

Hubbard expressed words of support to residents of the regions affected by the disaster, which affected more than 13 million people in 10 Turkish provinces. "The first reports came about an earthquake of magnitude 6.7 and I immediately thought that such a shock could cause significant damage to Turkey. Then I looked on the Internet and saw that it was just an aftershock. When I realized that the earthquake itself was magnitude 7.8, I was just devastated," the scientist recalls.

According to her, the earthquakes that caused great destruction and loss of life in Turkey and Syria are caused by tectonic processes. The movement of the Arabian plate to the north has activated various underground layers in Turkey, Hubbard noted.

"You may consider this earthquake unusual. Because a magnitude of 7.8 points has never been observed in this fault system," the seismologist said.

At the same time, Hubbard noted that Turkey experienced a "shallow earthquake", which is usually the most destructive. "The earthquake itself lasted about 75 seconds. The tremors probably lasted longer. Because the earth is still reacting. The longer the aftershocks, the more damage is caused," the seismologist noted.

Hubbard stressed that the region that survived the devastating earthquake in Turkey can no longer be called safe. "There is a possibility of a new earthquake. The areas formed around the fault are currently experiencing additional stress. I think Turkey is most likely aware of this risk, especially because of the condition of the fault line in Northern Anatolia," the seismologist added.