The "Earthquake Research Virtual Conference" organized by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBITAK) with the slogan "We Will Succeed Together with Science" was held Thursday with the participation of several high state officials and the president of the council.
TÜBITAK President professor Hasan Mandal, who talked at the start of the conference, stated that there is a need for science-based approaches to be more resilient against the economic, sociological and psychological adverse effects of natural disasters that may occur in the future.
"Science-based approaches will be realized with accurate science-based findings and determinations. Therefore, the most important aim of this conference is to evaluate these findings with all our relevant institutions," Mandal noted.
Emphasizing that the council is working to bring together the institutions that produce information in cases such as earthquakes and floods, Mandal stated that there is a need for innovative information production methods and human resource development for the problems that may occur in the future.
Noting that TÜBITAK has increased its earthquakes-based research, Mandal underlined the importance of international collaborations, adding that the increase of the visibility of publications on this subject and educating young people on the issue in cooperation with the municipalities became an essential part of the council's agenda after the Izmir earthquake.
"Our approach point is to produce more solutions in place of supporting the project," he added.
Pointing out that projects related to studies in social and human sciences are also part of the conference, Mandal said that special support programs were also initiated for industrialists, universities, and youth in the earthquake region.
Noting that all the data obtained will be collected in a shared database, Mandal said: "This database consists of 35,000 images. Some 12,000 local maps have been integrated here. It is not possible to assemble science without data. That data must meet with an interface on a base.''
Elaborating on the fact that the council has begun a study to update the fault lines in the country, Mandal added that these studies would contribute to the Türkiye National Risk Shield Model Program.
Yunus Sezer, the head of Disaster and Emergency Management Authorıty (AFAD), also took part in a session of the conference, noting that the number of aftershocks since Feb. 6 earthquakes till now has been close to 22,500, adding that the last month's earthquake was the third largest quake after the North Anatolian quake in 1668 and the one that occurred in Erzincan in 1939.
Providing comprehensive information on the 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes, Sezer said: "The duration of the first earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 was 65 seconds, and the second earthquake with a magnitude of 7.6 was measured as 45 seconds. So far, 22,500 earthquakes have occurred. This figure equals the average number of earthquakes we recorded in a year. Only the number of aftershocks between 5.0 and 6.0 magnitudes is 47. As a result of both earthquakes, 400 kilometers (248.59 miles) of surface ruptures occurred, and displacements of up to 7.5 meters (24.61 feet) occurred in the earth's crust."
Emphasizing the importance of the scientific approach and dubbing the basic rule of disaster management as "making the risk manageable," Sezer stated that 44 universities contributed to scientific studies at the AFAD Disaster Research Center and individual scientist studies. Saying that it is necessary to integrate individual studies systematically, Sezer emphasized the importance of combining these studies on a single platform.
Vice President Fuat Oktay, who also delivered a video message as part of the daylong conference, stressed the aim of bringing Türkiye to the position of a country that can respond quickly and effectively after disasters with a scientific approach.
On the one hand, field research in the earthquake zone is being carried out. On the other one, the dimensions of social sciences are part of the current focus, Oktay noted and praised the fact 124 projects are being executed within the scope of TÜBITAK Earthquake Research, including research projects in geological, geodetic, tectonic, and similar fields, as well as the researches or surface ruptures, landslides, sea level changes and projects examining cultural and historical aspects, health, logistics in the area of the disaster. ''In this context, 577 researchers from all over Türkiye were able to collect field data in many fields from health to logistics, from tectonic to psychological effects," Oktay added.
To expand the scientific research on the ground following the devastating quakes, which left over 50,000 people dead, TÜBITAK has also earlier this month placed a call for scientists in the country and abroad to join the "Earthquake Special Call" within the scope of studies on the earthquakes, providing financial support opportunities based on the residence of scientists, who decided to participate.