MCEER Response: Kocaeli (Izmit), Turkey Earthquake

Overview: Early in the morning on Tuesday, August 17, 1999, a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck along the Anatolian fault in the northwestern region of Turkey. Epicentered approximately 11 km southeast of the industrial city of Izmit (Kocaeli), the earthquake lasted 45 seconds and was felt over thousands of square miles in Turkey’s most densely populated region. Commercial and residential buildings from Adapazari to Istanbul collapsed resulting in a large-scale loss of life. Within days, MCEER dispatched four researchers to the region — three of them as part of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) reconnaissance team — to examine the earthquake’s impacts. Their initial observations and impressions are presented in this issue of MCEER Response.