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Istanbul - The threat of a major earthquake

42:36

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October 4, 2023

Many experts believe that Istanbul will soon be hit by a major earthquake — potentially one of the most devastating natural disasters in recent history. It’s only a matter of time.

Istanbul is located directly on the North Anatolian Fault, between two tectonic plates. These move apart by two to three centimeters a year, over a length of 1,200 kilometers. This is why severe earthquakes in the region are a regular occurrence. A quake in Istanbul itself is only a matter of time and will affect millions of people. An earthquake with a predicted magnitude of 6 to 7 on the Richter scale would devastate the city. Actress and filmmaker Nisan Arikan witnessed a severe quake in the region when she was nine years old. Together with geophysicist Patricia Martinez-Garzon, who researches the earthquake risk in Istanbul, she sets out to find solutions. How can the city’s 16 million residents prepare for a worst-case scenario?

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Exciting stories, a wide variety of topics, fascinating pictures: every day, half or three-quarters of an hour of carefully researched background reports from the worlds of politics, business, science, culture, nature, history, lifestyle and sport.

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