The 7,7 and 7,6 magnitude earthquakes in the Pazarcık and Elbistan districts of Kahramanmaraş left a deep impact on the whole country. After the earthquakes that took place on February 6, explanations about the extent of the damage and loss of life continue to come. Recent earthquakes, fault line inquiries and risky districts researches have intensified by people who are concerned about earthquakes. Here are the people who are curious about the earthquake risk districts with the Ankara earthquake map.
Well, is Ankara, which is a fourth-degree earthquake zone and relatively safer place than many other cities, really safe against earthquakes? How will a possible Istanbul earthquake affect Ankara? Which districts are the most vulnerable to earthquakes in Ankara? The answer to all these questions was answered by Prof. Dr. Suleiman gave it to Pampal.
Expressing that Ankara is in danger of an earthquake, Pampal told the Universal Newspaper exactly 18 years ago about Ankara's situation against the earthquake.
“LARGE SECTION OF ANKARA IS ON UNSUITABLE, BAD GROUNDS”
prof. Dr. Süleyman Pampal stated that there were earthquakes in Ankara that started on August 12, 1668 and lasted for 3 days, and on August 17, 1668, there was a big earthquake of 8 magnitude. Stating that this earthquake almost leveled Ankara as well as the regions in the north of Turkey, Pampal said that all Ankara was evacuated except for the soldiers left at Ankara Castle to protect the castle. Stating that most of Ankara sits on unsuitable and bad ground, Pampal said, “Some of these grounds are very bad. Soft, loose, groundwater-containing wet soils, which we call alluvial soils, are plentiful in Ankara. Such soils can increase the intensity of the earthquake up to two times," he said. Stating that when the condition of the buildings in Ankara is considered, it is seen that the principle of “building on the right ground” is violated, Pampal pointed out that there are many high-rise buildings on bad grounds in the city.
THE HEART OF THE CAPITAL, THE RED CRISP AND HEALTH IS IN DANGER
Pampal said, “Especially the buildings built during the post-1980 period of cooperatives are of extremely poor quality. The buildings in Ankara were not built considering the earthquake phenomenon. It was evaluated as 'no earthquake hazard'. But that is not true,” he said. Reminding that in the 17 August 1999 earthquake, the distance between Gölcük and Avcılar was more than 100 km, nearly a thousand dead in Avcılar, Pampal said, “If there is an earthquake greater than 7 on the North Anatolian Fault line, Ankara will also be affected and this devastating earthquake will cause serious damage and loss of life. will happen,” he warned. Pampal continued his warnings as follows; “We, the people of Ankara, live under high earthquake risk. There is no need to give names and scare people, but a large part of Ankara is built on places that are not suitable for earthquakes. The Kızılay-Sıhhiye region is the worst place, it is a swamp, and there are many high-rise buildings. "When Ankara encounters a major earthquake caused by major faults around it, it is not necessary to be a prophet to say that many of these will be damaged," he said.
FAULT LINE FOUR SIDES OF ANKARA
Gazi University Civil Engineering Department Lecturer Prof. Dr. Mustafa Pampal pointed out the existence of the North Anatolian Fault, which is one of the largest and most active faults in the world, extending 80-100 km north of Ankara in the northwest and northeast direction, creating devastating earthquakes, and noted that the 1944 Gerede earthquake was due to this fault. Pampal said, “There is Kırıkkale-Erbaa Fault starting from Kırıkkale in the northeast and extending towards Haymana, and joining with the North Anatolian Fault in the east of Amasya,” Pampal drew attention to the Keskin Fault, which creates major earthquakes between Kırıkkale and Keskin.
In the south, the Salt Lake Fault, which starts around Niğde and extends from the east of Tuz Gölü to Haymana via Aksaray, is 70-80 km from Ankara. Stating that it is at a distance of XNUMX km from the city, Pampal said that the Eskişehir Fault, which starts from Ulukışla in the south of Ankara and extends to the west through Eskişehir, is also an active fault that can create a large earthquake. Pampal said, “It means that Ankara is surrounded on four sides by faults that will create a large, active and destructive earthquake. We see that Ankara is worse than Istanbul," he said.
In addition, there are the North Anatolian Fault Line, which is the 1st degree earthquake zone, the Kırşehir Keskin Fault Line in the southeast, and the small fault lines under Bala in the Haymana region. When we consider all these, Ankara has a risk in terms of earthquakes.
“POLICIES ARE POOR, IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO MAKE BUILDINGS EARTHQUAKE RESISTANT ALONE”
Pampal listed what needs to be done as follows: “The building stock needs to be reviewed within the framework of a certain plan. In particular, structures such as hospitals, schools, public offices and cinemas should be made 50 percent stronger. If it cannot be strengthened, we must demolish it and rebuild it. The people are poor, it is not possible to make their buildings earthquake resistant alone. The state should contribute to this work.”
THE MOST RISKY PLACES OF ANKARA IN POSSIBLE EARTHQUAKE
Hacettepe University Geological Engineering Department Lecturer Prof. Dr. Erçin Kasapoğlu, on the other hand, in his study titled “Ankara City Geotechnical Characteristics and Seismicity”, states that in the last century, a total of 120 earthquakes with a magnitude of more than 4, falling within a circle with a radius of 76 km, drawn with Ankara being the center, were determined.
According to Kasapoğlu's report, the 19-magnitude Kırşehir-Keskin earthquake that occurred on April 1938, 6.6 was felt very strongly in Ankara, causing cracks in buildings and collapse of chimneys. The Bolu-Gerede earthquake with a magnitude of 1 on February 1944, 7.2 caused the loss of 125 dead, 158 injured, 450 destroyed and 2 damaged structures and 716 animals in Beypazarı, Kızılcahamam, Çamlıdere, Ayaş towns and their villages. The 829 magnitude earthquake on 24 August 1999, the epicenter of which was in Haymana, did not cause loss of life and property, but was felt significantly. On June 4.7, 6, the 2000 magnitude earthquake, the epicenter of which was in the Ota district of Çankırı, was felt quite strongly in Ankara.
Research shows that regions of Ankara such as Kızılay, Yenişehir, Maltepe, Sıhhiye, Batıkent, and Demetevler will be severely affected by a severe earthquake that may occur in the surrounding area and will suffer great damage.