Turkey M7.2 is a reminder that QuakeFinder should have instruments there
Sunday’s M7.2 earthquake in Turkey more evidence that we should be there
QuakeFinder is in the midst of a major expansion of its instrument network. One of the locations we plan to expand into is Turkey. Lead researcher Tom Bleier will be making a trip to the region next month. But unfortunately, he will only be visiting Greece on this trip, as the installation in Turkey is delayed due to political changes. We hope to be able to get that part of the project back on track for installation next year.
The earthquake that struck the eastern part of the country (coverage here and here) on Sunday is a reminder of why we selected Turkey for expansion of our network. The region is prone to significant quakes, with the last really big one striking in 1999 and killing almost 20,000 people. No wonder then that researchers there are very active in the search for a practical method for forecasting major quakes.
QuakeFinder has been collaborating with Dr. Sedat Inan in Turkey (associated with their research center under the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, TUBITAK). The goal is to join with them in adding magnetic pulses and air conductivity to their ongoing research into earthquake precursors, and ultimately, to save lives.