Damage in the Aftermath of Turkey Earthquake

LOOK: NASA Satellite Images Show Devastating Damage from Turkey Earthquake

Two massive earthquakes left over 20,000 dead and millions displaced in Turkey and Syria last week. The damage and horror left in their wake are incalculable, but satellite images from the NASA Earth Observatory help to understand the full scale of the disaster.

The magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck overnight, sending citizens in both Turkey and Syria fleeing their crumbling homes for the relative safety of the freezing darkness. The quake leveled entire buildings in a matter of moments, creating debris visible from satellites monitoring the area.

Just hours later, a second earthquake hit, this one measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale and nearly as devastating as the first. The Earth shook with such violence that those in nearby nations felt the reverberations.

In the immediate aftermath of the disaster, space agencies worldwide, including NASA, took to their satellite imagery to gain a better understanding of the event.

“These were very large and powerful earthquakes that ruptured all the way up to the surface over a long series of fault segments,” NASA geophysicist Eric Fielding explained to NASA’s Earth Observatory. “This generated extremely strong shaking over a very large area that hit many cities and towns full of people. The rupture length and magnitude of the magnitude 7.8 earthquake was similar to the 1906 earthquake that destroyed San Francisco.”

How to Decode the Map of the Earthquake Damage in Turkey

Though the exact number remains unclear, officials estimate thousands of buildings were destroyed by the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. Many countries, including the US, have sent rescue crews and other means of assistance in the aftermath. Unfortunately, however, efforts have been severely inhibited by freezing weather and infrastructure issues.

The satellite imagery above, shared by the NASA Earth Observatory, shows the immense damage to three Turkish cities. Dark red pixels, such as those east of Nurdagi, indicate areas “likely to have severe damage”. That includes buildings, homes, and infrastructure. Meanwhile, the orange and yellow pixels indicate “moderately or partially damaged” areas.

The observatory explained that each pixel represents approximately 100 feet of land. Scientists created the maps using a satellite’s synthetic aperture radar. The radar sends pulses toward Earth, then “listens” for reflections of those waves to create a map of the landscape.

“We’re monitoring this event closely,” said Shanna McClain, manager of the disasters program team of NASA’s Earth Science Applied Sciences Program. “In addition to mapping damage to the extent possible from satellites, we’re using satellites to track increased landslide risks, power outages, and weather that could pose challenges to response efforts.”