1970 Gediz earthquake

1970 Gediz earthquake
1970 Gediz earthquake is located in Turkey
1970 Gediz earthquake
UTC time1970-03-28 21:02:24
ISC event798506
USGS-ANSSComCat
Local date28 March 1970 (1970-03-28)[1]
Local time23:02:24
Magnitude7.2 Mw
Depth17.7 km
Epicenter39°12′N 29°30′E / 39.2°N 29.5°E / 39.2; 29.5
Areas affectedTurkey
Max. intensityMMI IX (Violent)[2]
Casualties1,086 dead, 1,260 injured[1]

The 1970 Gediz earthquake (also known as the 1970 Kütahya-Gediz earthquake) struck western Turkey on 28 March at about 23:02 local time with an estimated magnitude of 7.2 on the Mw scale.[3]

Gediz, a district of Kütahya Province situated 98km (81mi) southeast of Kütahya, was a town that experienced repeated natural disasters including earthquakes and floods. It was relocated following a government resolution soon after the destruction to a new location that was 7 km (4.3 mi) away on the road to Uşak with the new name of Yeni Gediz (English: New Gediz).

The residents moved in their newly built, earthquake-resistant homes. Neighboring towns and villages were also rebuilt at places with relative minimum earthquake risk.[1]

Other major earthquakes occurred in Gediz in 1866 and 1896, and on June 25, 1944, at 07:20 local time, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake occurred in Gediz, killing 20 people and damaging around 3,500 buildings.[1]

  1. ^ a b c d "Kütahya Gediz İlçesi-1970 Gediz Depremi" (in Turkish). Kültür Sanat. Archived from the original on 23 May 2011. Retrieved 17 February 2009.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Ambraseys was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ ANSS. "M 7.2 - 19 km NE of Gediz, Turkey 1970". Comprehensive Catalog. U.S. Geological Survey.