A USC-led study has revealed that researchers can predict where Turkey's next major earthquake will occur, estimate its strength, and even pinpoint the spatial footprint of where damage is most likely to occur. However, the experts still cannot predict when the earthquake will happen.

SC geophysicist Sylvain Barbot and his fellow researchers have used remote sensing to document the huge earthquake that hit Eastern Turkey on February 6, 2023, killing more than 50,000 people and toppling more than 100,000 buildings. They found that a section of the fault remains unbroken and locked, which indicates that plates in the area may generate another magnitude 6.8 earthquake when the friction intensifies and the plates finally give way.

While researchers cannot determine the timing of the next earthquake, they can prepare the population and the scientific community for it. The study highlights the importance of monitoring seismic activity and conducting further research to understand how earthquakes start and end. The study also revealed that buildings collapsed in different ways, with some being flattened like pancakes, while others were pulverized. This suggests that the earthquake produced more shaking than anticipated in the building codes. Turkey is no stranger to earthquakes, and the country has experienced several devastating earthquakes over the years.

In the light of the latest study, the population should be aware of the possibility of another magnitude 6.8 earthquake, and the scientific community should prepare to monitor the seismic activity and analyze how the earthquake occurs.