 Aftermath of the earthquake | |
  | |
| UTC time | 1903-04-28 23:46:00 |
|---|---|
| ISC event | n/a |
| USGS-ANSS | n/a |
| Local date | 29 April 1903 (1903-04-29) |
| Local time | 01:30 |
| Magnitude | 7.0 (Ms) |
| Epicenter | 39°08′N42°39′E / 39.14°N 42.65°E /39.14; 42.65[1] |
| Areas affected | Ottoman Empire (Turkey today) |
| Total damage | 12,000 homes destroyed |
| Max. intensity | MMI X (Extreme)[2] |
| Aftershocks | one |
| Casualties | 3,500 humans and 20,000 livestock killed |
The1903 Manzikert earthquake struckManzikert of nowadaysMuş Province ineastern Turkey on 28 April. Registering asurface-wave magnitude of 7.0,[3] the earthquake originated from a highly activeseismic zone. It killed 3,500 people and 20,000 animals, destroyed 12,000 homes, and is now listed among Turkey's deadliest earthquakes inrecorded history. To this day, Turkey is threatened by major earthquakes – more than 100 earthquakes over 7.0 have taken place in the country's known history.
The country of Turkey is situated on a highly active section of theEurasian plate boundary. The country is mainly mountainous, approximately 85 percent of the country is at an elevation of 450 m (1,476 ft) or more.[4] The entire country lies within a zone of active deformation known as theAlpide belt. This zone ofcontinental collision reaches from the Atlantic Ocean to theHimalaya Mountains and beyond; dating back to thePaleogene period. It has formed due toconvergent movement between theArabian,African, andIndian continental plates and the Eurasian plate. TheAnatolian Plate is currently being squeezed out to the west by the ongoing collision between the Arabian plate and the Eurasian plate, bounded to the southeast by theEast Anatolian Fault and to the north by theNorth Anatolian Fault.[5] To the east of the junction of these two faults, the Arabian plate is in direct collision with the Eurasian plate. This area is characterised bythrust faulting and was the area in which the 1903 event occurred.
Among the world's deadliest earthquakes, it caused 3,500 direct fatalities.[6] 12,000 homes were devastated.[6] 20,000 animals (other than humans) were killed in the epicentral region of Manzikert-Patnos.[6] Damage to a lesser extent reachedErzurum andBitlis. On August 6, additional damage took place and people were injured when anaftershock rocked the same region.[6]
Major earthquakes have taken place in the region as early as 411 B.C. In the 20th century, 58 major destructive earthquakes took place – in total, they have killed more than 100,000 people, injured 150,000, and desolated approximately 420,000 homes and buildings. More than 100 earthquakes of magnitude 7 or greater have taken place in the country historically.[7]