HOW TO DEAL WITH EARTHQUAKES LIKE THE RECENTLY OCCURRED IN TURKEY AND SYRIA

Fernando Alcoforado*

This article aims to show how to deal with earthquakes like the one that recently occurred in Turkey and Syria whose death toll exceeds 11 thousand on 02/08/2023. The propositions and conclusions of this article are based on the analysis of Chapter 3 of the book Humanidade ameaçada e estratégias para sua sobrevivência (Humanity threatened and strategies for its survival) published by Editora Dialética de São Paulo in 2021 and Chapter 7 of the book A escalada da Ciência e da Tecnologia ao longo da história (The climb of Science and Technology throughout history) published by Editora CRV de Curitiba in 2022, authored by Engineer and Professor Fernando Alcoforado, who presented strategies capable of saving humanity from natural disasters caused by earthquakes, tsunamis and volcano eruptions.

Tremors or earthquakes, as they are better known, are vibrations in the outer layer of the Earth caused by phenomena that happen inside our planet. Earthquakes can occur due to volcanic activity, the movement of tectonic plates and the collapse of the Earth’s internal structure. In all cases, an immense amount of energy builds up, causing the Earth to tremble. Tectonic plates are some parts that make up the Earth’s crust. 28 tectonic plates are identified on Earth (Figure 1).

Figure 1- Earth’s tectonic plates

 Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plate_tectonics#/media/File:Plates_tect2_en.svg

Tectonic plates are classified into three groups. The largest tectonic plates are the North American, Eurasian, Australian, African, Antarctic, Pacific and South American, where Brazil is located. The secondary plates are Cocos, Caribbean, Nazca, Philippine, Arabic, Anatolian, Scottish and Juan de Fuca. The rest are classified as micro plates. The highest incidence of earthquakes around the planet is at the boundaries between tectonic plates. The boundaries between major plates and minor plates mark the planet’s highest risk points for earthquakes. Of all earthquakes recorded by humanity, approximately 90% of them spread across these long borders between the plates. They happen when there is a shock between the plates. The greater the speed with which the plate moves, the more severe the earthquake will be.

The highest risk regions for earthquakes are located at the boundaries of tectonic plates on the American coast of the Pacific Ocean, from Chile to Canada, and in Japan. Central Asia (from the Himalayas to Iran) and the Mediterranean (Morocco, Algeria and Turkey) are also at risk. The five strongest earthquakes ever recorded in the world to date were the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia in 1952, Valdivia in Chile in 1960, Alaska in the United States in 1964, Sumatra Island in Indonesia in 2004 and Oshika Peninsula in Japan in 2011. The strongest earthquake in history was, however, that of Shensi, in China, which occurred in the year 1556 and which left an incredible 830,000 dead in its wake.

The following map shows the areas of the planet most susceptible to earthquakes:

Figure 2- The regions with the highest risk of earthquakes in the world

Source: U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY (In red, the regions with the highest risk of earthquakes and, in white, those with the lowest risk).

Natural disasters caused by earthquakes, tsunamis and volcano eruptions have contributed to the deaths of populations and destruction of buildings and infrastructure in many countries. With the exception of Japan, which adopts advanced prevention and precautionary measures against earthquakes and tsunamis, humanity continues to be at the mercy of these natural disasters due to the lack of prediction of the occurrence of these events, of evacuation plans for populations in the affected areas and of prevention and precautionary measures to deal with disasters caused by earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions.

A country that is quite advanced in prevention and precaution against earthquakes is Japan, which is considered the country best prepared to face earthquakes. The Japanese territory is located in a seismic area and that is why the country has so many volcanoes, some of which are still active. This, too, is why Japan is a region heavily affected by earthquakes and tsunamis. These are events that happen at different intensities. The most recent major earthquake was in 2011, which hit the northeast coast of Japan, with the tsunami that devastated the Fukushima region and caused the nuclear accident. These activities provoked by nature are very common in the country, they happen almost daily, most of them on a much smaller scale. Often small tremors occur and people are not even aware of them. With this scenario, Japan is constantly monitoring earthquakes and has several preventive and precautionary measures in place.

Over the years, Japan has invested billions of dollars developing new technologies that help its citizens and infrastructure against earthquakes and tsunamis. The fact that Japan is located at the meeting of three tectonic plates (Pacific, East Eurasian and the Philippines) is the cause of the frequent earthquakes that the country faces from time to time. Basically, the movement and shock between these plates is what causes tremors, as well as landslides and tsunamis. That is why the country needs to invest in anti-earthquake technologies. Faced with these tremors, Japan presents strategies to reduce damage and protect the population. Training on how to act during earthquakes is carried out free of charge by the fire department throughout the country. These trainings contribute a lot to the protection of the Japanese, but the differential is in the engineering.

Buildings constructed in Japan have a spring system in their foundations to absorb tremors. At the junctions between the columns (pillars) is placed a special material that dissipates energy when the structure moves in opposite directions. When the buildings are very close, a spring is placed between them so that they do not collide. On all floors, internal steel structures in the walls help support the weight of the building. Another important technology is the use of pendulums for inertial damping. A suspended and heavy sphere moves the building in the opposite direction to the vibrations caused by the earthquake. Electronically controlled, this mechanism reduces building vibrations by up to 60%. The cost of these anti-earthquake technologies is high and only modern buildings have them. That’s why the Japanese government pays a percentage of the costs for old buildings to bring them into line.

The high civil engineering technologies developed years ago by the Japanese to minimize the damage and deaths caused by natural disasters are the reasons why many buildings are still standing in Japan, which is considered the country best prepared to deal with earthquakes. The buildings are conceived as a dynamic element, as they will always be subject to movement in any direction. Electronic dampers are installed in buildings that can be remotely controlled. In simpler buildings, spring dampers are used that work in a similar way to the suspension of vehicles. The engineers also put a special material to cushion the joints between the columns (pillars), the slab and the steel structures that make up each floor. This material helps dissipate energy when the structure moves in opposite directions. This way the building does not crush the intermediate floors.

The Japanese learn from an early age how to behave during an earthquake, with frequent training sessions that take place in offices, schools, etc. The country’s TV and radio stations have the function of warning with minutes in advance if a major earthquake is detected. So people have time to leave the house and go to a safe place. Homes should always be prepared for minor tremors. The most modern constructions are already made to resist earthquakes, with shock absorbers in the foundation and other technologies. Heavy objects never stay in high places or places that can fall easily and every home should have a survival kit with water, food and flashlight for more extreme cases. During tremors, the recommendation is to take shelter under a table to protect yourself in case something falls. Soon after, turn off the stove, heaters and gas, remove electrical appliances from the socket and leave the entrance door open to ensure an exit.

If people are on the train or inside commercial establishments, they follow the instructions of employees who are trained to guide them in these situations. If they are on the street, the Japanese look for a safe place and stay away from poles, walls and buildings. The ideal is to stay in an open area like parks or large squares. In coastal regions, they go to a high place as far away from the sea as possible, to protect themselves in case of a tsunami. They pay attention after the tremor, as aftershocks are quite common. The main thing is to remain calm during the event and follow the guidelines. Japan is a country very prepared for these situations. By law, any construction erected after 1981 in Japan must withstand strong earthquakes. Buildings and homes that were built before the law are advised to reinforce the structures. The government finances part of the reform. The great danger is in old houses, many of which are made of wood. According to estimates, in Tokyo, after a major earthquake, 23,000 people will die, 16,000 because of the fire. In addition to being fragile, the old houses would collapse more easily, interrupting escape routes in narrow streets.

The risk of Brazil experiencing large-scale earthquakes is very low. The chances of a big earthquake, like the one that hit Turkey and Syria happening in Brazil are remote because it occupies a privileged position for being in the center of a tectonic plate, the South American, while the big earthquakes occur where there is the shock between tectonic plates. In Brazil, earthquakes are recorded, but of small intensity. In the Atlantic Ocean, there are many earthquakes, but they happen far from the coast and we rarely feel the reflections. They are most common in earthquakes in the Andes. In Brazil, earthquakes can be felt when a seismic shock has the Andes region as its epicenter, such as Chile, Peru and Colombia, which are the countries where the largest tremors occur in South America. In August 2022, for example, there were 8 earthquakes on the coast of Rio Grande do Norte. According to the Brazilian Seismographic Network, the largest event had a magnitude of 3.7 on the Richter scale and was felt by the population. Despite this, at this magnitude, this tremor rarely causes damage. The greatest damage occurs with earthquakes from 6.1 and 6.9 on the Richter scale that can be destructive in areas around 100 km from the epicenter. In the case of tremors rated between 7.0 and 7.9 on the Richter scale, such as the recent earthquake in Turkey and Syria, serious damage can be caused over a wide range. Earthquakes of 8 or higher on the Richter scale can cause severe damage in many areas, even hundreds of kilometers away.

Under current conditions, it is not possible to predict the occurrence of earthquakes, but it is possible to adopt preventive and precautionary measures to eliminate or reduce the damage they cause to populations, buildings and infrastructure, as the Japanese do. The Japanese experience of prevention and precaution against earthquakes should be disseminated and adopted worldwide, especially in countries where there are more earthquakes in the world. In each of these countries, structures aimed at monitoring earthquakes should be set up and evacuation plans drawn up for populations in places that may be affected by these catastrophic events. In addition, a global structure needs to be set up, a World Organization for Defense against natural disasters of global scope, similar to the WHO (World Health Organization) that has the capacity to technically coordinate the actions of countries that face earthquakes, tsunamis and eruptions of volcanoes whose consequences have local, regional and global reach and are devastating for thousands of victims such as those currently registered in Turkey and Syria.

* Fernando Alcoforado, awarded the medal of Engineering Merit of the CONFEA / CREA System, member of the Bahia Academy of Education, of the SBPC- Brazilian Society for the Progress of Science and of IPB- Polytechnic Institute of Bahia, engineer and doctor in Territorial Planning and Regional Development from the University of Barcelona, university professor (Engineering, Economy and Administration) and consultant in the areas of strategic planning, business planning, regional planning, urban planning and energy systems, was Advisor to the Vice President of Engineering and Technology at LIGHT S.A. Electric power distribution company from Rio de Janeiro, Strategic Planning Coordinator of CEPED- Bahia Research and Development Center, Undersecretary of Energy of the State of Bahia, Secretary of Planning of Salvador, is the author of the books Globalização (Editora Nobel, São Paulo, 1997), De Collor a FHC- O Brasil e a Nova (Des)ordem Mundial (Editora Nobel, São Paulo, 1998), Um Projeto para o Brasil (Editora Nobel, São Paulo, 2000), Os condicionantes do desenvolvimento do Estado da Bahia (Tese de doutorado. Universidade de Barcelona,http://www.tesisenred.net/handle/10803/1944, 2003), Globalização e Desenvolvimento (Editora Nobel, São Paulo, 2006), Bahia- Desenvolvimento do Século XVI ao Século XX e Objetivos Estratégicos na Era Contemporânea (EGBA, Salvador, 2008), The Necessary Conditions of the Economic and Social Development- The Case of the State of Bahia (VDM Verlag Dr. Müller Aktiengesellschaft & Co. KG, Saarbrücken, Germany, 2010), Aquecimento Global e Catástrofe Planetária (Viena- Editora e Gráfica, Santa Cruz do Rio Pardo, São Paulo, 2010), Amazônia Sustentável- Para o progresso do Brasil e combate ao aquecimento global (Viena- Editora e Gráfica, Santa Cruz do Rio Pardo, São Paulo, 2011), Os Fatores Condicionantes do Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2012), Energia no Mundo e no Brasil- Energia e Mudança Climática Catastrófica no Século XXI (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2015), As Grandes Revoluções Científicas, Econômicas e Sociais que Mudaram o Mundo (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2016), A Invenção de um novo Brasil (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2017), Esquerda x Direita e a sua convergência (Associação Baiana de Imprensa, Salvador, 2018), Como inventar o futuro para mudar o mundo (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2019), A humanidade ameaçada e as estratégias para sua sobrevivência (Editora Dialética, São Paulo, 2021), A escalada da ciência e da tecnologia e sua contribuição ao progresso e à sobrevivência da humanidade(Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2022)and a chapter in the book Flood Handbook (CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, United States, 2022).