Reacción a "Reactions: 7.8-magnitude quake in Turkey leaves thousands dead"

Converging plate boundary zones often record seismic activity related to movement and displacement along faults and fault zones close to plate contacts. The area affected by the earthquake is in the contact zone between 4 plates and microplates. The geological context is particularly complex and therefore fault displacements and movements are frequent as a result of the convergence between these large blocks (plates). The Anatolian (NE), Arabian (S-SE), Eurasian (NW) and Nubian (SW) plates converge in the earthquake zone.

The first earthquake of magnitude 7.8 was generated by the movement of a so-called rifting or jumping fault that would be framed by the eastern Anatolian fault zone that accommodates deformation between the Anatolian, Arabian and African plates.

The second major earthquake has been somewhat shallower (hypocentre or focus of the earthquake located at a depth of 10 km) than the first one (at a depth of 17.9 km).