The severe earthquake that happened in Türkiye and Syria destroyed the environment. The quake also took a mass number of lives. Therefore, this isn’t only environmental damage. The earthquake caused grief and emotional trauma to those who experienced this frightening disaster.
The earthquake affected the environment
After the quake on 7 February, the geological impact started to resurface. For example, the streets of İskenderun were flooded with water as the sea level rose. It’s frightening even to look at it. Can you imagine how they felt when witnessing this?
İskenderun'da deniz seviyesi yükseldi! Caddeleri su bastı https://t.co/Kx32LnLX24 pic.twitter.com/5fqX9XHbkC
— CNN TÜRK (@cnnturk) February 7, 2023
Significant subsidence appeared in the coastal city of İskenderun. Thus, the flood happened. Additionally, many hillsides around the country were at risk of a deadly landslip.
Of course, this harmed the community because of the unsafe surroundings. Thus, they should rehome due to the possible pipelines and road rerouting work.
A bottomless hole
Recently, there’s a discovery of the effects of earthquakes on the environment. Ehsan Safarnejad (@Safarnead_IR) shared a bone-chilling video of a bottomless hole.
in the aftermath of the earthquake in Turkey, this seemingly bottomless hole has appeared which has drained the RIVER!!!!
Iran🇮🇷 stands w/ Syria🇸🇾 & Turkey🇹🇷! pic.twitter.com/GW1N54FoUG
— 𝐄𝐡𝐬𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐣𝐚𝐝 | احسان 🇮🇷 (@Safarnejad_IR) February 21, 2023
At first glance, it looks like a waterfall. The hole has no end. It also drains the river. A person threw a big piece of rock, and it sank immediately. Hence, it indicated that the hole was deep. Anyone who stands too close can lose their life in a blink.
Other common effects after an earthquake
An earthquake can be described as a violent and abrupt shaking of the grown. It’s caused by movement between tectonic plates along a fault line in the earth’s crust.
When it happens, these are the effects:
- Ground shaking
- Soil liquefaction
Picture: Geotech Rijeka
- Landslides
- Fissures
Picture: Google
- Avalanches
- Fires
- Tsunamis
However, the degree of destruction an earthquake can cause depends on:
- The magnitude
- The intensity and duration
- The local geology
- The time of day that it occurs
- Building and industrial plant design and materials
- The risk-management measures put in place
Although the quake has caused more harm than good, we can find wisdom in every natural disaster that happens to the world.
Perhaps, it’s time to reflect on what we did to the earth. It’s never too late to make this world a better place.
Sources: The Guardian, World Health Organization, USGS, Twitter Ehsan Safarnejad, Twitter CNN Türkiye
