Geotechnical damage survey report on February 6, 2023 Turkey-Syria Earthquake, Turkey

Abstract

In response to the significant earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria on February 6, 2023, a collaborative reconnaissance team, consisting of researchers and engineers from Japan and Turkey, was formed by the Japan Association for Earthquake Engineering, the Architectural Institute of Japan, the Japan Society of Civil Engineers, and the Japanese Geotechnical Society. This coalition conducted an in-depth on-site investigation from March 28 to April 2, two months after the catastrophic seismic events. In Islahiye, a landslide resulted in the formation of a landslide dam. Another landslide occurred in Tepehan on a relatively gentle slope formed of limestone, with possible correlations to fault movements. Iskenderun encountered not just building collapses on soft ground, but also instances of the tilting of buildings and ground subsidence attributed to the liquefaction of reclaimed coastal soil. Golbasi witnessed significant liquefaction-induced damage to structures with shallow foundations on soft ground, involving tilting and settling. However, a more comprehensive investigation is required to accurately map the extent of the liquefied soil layers. Antakya and Kahramanmaras emerged as regions where building damage coincided with surface ground vibrations. Despite severe building collapses, Antakya's relatively stable ground showed an average S-wave velocity exceeding AVS30 400 m/s. This suggests potential wave amplification due to underlying geological structures. Kahramanmaras displayed notable building damage concentrated in alluvial fan formations.

Keywords

• 2023 Turkey-Syria Earthquake
• Reconnaissance
• Geotechncial damage
• Liquefaction
• Landslide