  | |
| UTC time | 1939-12-26 23:57:23 |
|---|---|
| ISC event | 902291 |
| USGS-ANSS | ComCat |
| Local date | 27 December 1939 |
| Local time | 1:57:23 a.m. |
| Magnitude | 7.8 Mw[1] |
| Depth | 20 km (12 mi)[1] |
| Epicenter | 39°46′N 39°35′E / 39.77°N 39.58°E[1] |
| Fault | North Anatolian Fault |
| Type | Strike-slip |
| Areas affected | Erzincan Province Turkey |
| Total damage | 116,720 buildings were seriously damaged |
| Max. intensity | MMI XII (Extreme)[2] |
| Tsunami | 0.53 m (1 ft 9 in)[3] |
| Aftershocks | Yes |
| Casualties | 32,700–32,968 dead[3] 100,000 injured[3] |
An earthquake struck Turkey's eastern Erzincan Province at 1:57:23 a.m. on 27 December 1939 local time with a moment magnitude of 7.8 Mw and a maximum Mercalli intensity of XII (Extreme). It is the joint second most-powerful earthquake recorded in Turkey, tied with the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake. Only the 1668 North Anatolia earthquake was more powerful.[4] This was one of the largest in a sequence of violent shocks to affect Turkey along the North Anatolian Fault between 1939 and 1999. Surface rupturing, with a horizontal displacement of up to 3.7 meters, occurred in a 360 km long segment of the North Anatolian Fault Zone.[5][6] The earthquake was the most severe natural loss of life in Turkey in the 20th century, with 32,968 dead,[6] and some 100,000 injured.[7]
- ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference
ISC-GEMwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
NGDCwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference
PAGER-CATwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Historic Worldwide Earthquakes". United States Geological Survey. Archived from the original on 25 August 2009. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
- ^ "Erzincan, Turkey, 1939 December 26 23:57 UTC, Magnitude 7.8". Historic Earthquakes. United States Geological Survey. Archived from the original on 23 March 2016.
- ^ a b Gürsoy, Halil; Tatar, Orhan; Akpınar, Zafer; Polat, Ali; Mesci, Levent; Tunçer, Doğan (2013-04-01). "New observations on the 1939 Erzincan Earthquake surface rupture on the Kelkit Valley segment of the North Anatolian Fault Zone, Turkey". Journal of Geodynamics. SI : Tethyan Evolution and Active Tectonics in Anatolia dedicated in honour of Prof. Dr. Ali Koçyiğit’s retirement. 65: 259–271. Bibcode:2013JGeo...65..259G. doi:10.1016/j.jog.2012.06.002. ISSN 0264-3707.
- ^ Gürsoy, H.; Akpınar, Z.; Tatar, O.; Koçbulut, F.; Sezen, T.F.; Mesci, B.L.; Polat, A.; Kavak, K.Ş.; Tunçer, D.; Yaman, S. (November 2006). "1939 Erzincan depremi yüzey kırığı haritalama çalışmaları (Reşadiye batısı - Koyulhisar arası): ilk gözlemlere ait bulgular" (PDF) (in Turkish). Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi. pp. 2–4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 November 2009.