Huge tear under Turkey: Researchers warn of earthquake risk!

An international research team under the direction of the University of Göttingen has discovered a gigantic crack under Turkey, which extends towards northwestern Iran. The crack extends under the Zagros Mountains to Iraq and is located on the border between the Arabic and the Eurasian earth plate. The results of this research were recently published in the specialist journal Solid Earth

The discovered crack leads to a reduction in the earth's surface, which has developed over the past 20 million years through the geological processes in the Zagros Mountains. This is due to the fact that Africa pushes north, causing the Tethyssey to disappear into the earth mantle about 25 million years ago. Dr. Renas Koshnaw explains that the retrospective examination shows how the rest of the primeval neothys-ocean hangs on the Arabic plate and this oceanic plate remnant is torn down.

geodynamic knowledge

The scientists have also developed a geodynamic model that simulates the forces that are responsible for the formation of this crack. A special discovery was that the lowering of the earth's crust is greater than one would expect due to the weight of the mountains. The heavy oceanic plate pulls the earth's crust down, which creates space for sediment deposits. Some of this findings indicate that the region has a history of strong earthquakes, which underlines the urgency of such research. A preventive inventory could help to predict future geological changes.

The specific geological conditions in the Zagros Mountains reaffirm the high earthquake activity in this area, which is caused by the collision of the African, Arab and Indian continental plates with the Eurasian plate. Jonas Kley from the University of Göttingen points out that where the plate is torn down, fewer earthquakes arise, which raises questions about the possible increase in the earthquake risks in the region.