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There are three main sources of seismic activity in Turkey which are,

1- North Anatolian Fault (NAF)

The North Anatolian Fault is a morphologically distinct and seismically right-lateral strikeslip fault. It has a well developed surface expression for most of its length of 1300 km (approx. 810 mi.) North Anatolian Fault system is one of the most seismically active right-lateral strikeslip faults in the world. Since 1939 there have been 9 M 7.0 or larger earthquakes along the fault. These earthquakes followed a systematic pattern that progressed generally from east to west along the fault system.

2- East Anatolian Fault (EAF)

The East Anatolian Fault is an active left-lateral strikeslip fault which extends from Antakya to Karliova, the eastern terminal of NAF. It is a fault zone which is about 2-3 km wide, and links into the Dead Sea Fault System.

3-Western Turkey Graben Complex

This is an area of intense seismic activity which is related to the east-west trending graben complexes in the Aegean region.

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Turkey has a surface area of 780,360 sq-km and is essentially a country of mountains and high plateaus, having a population of approximately 65 million (1995). As a result of orogenic system, geology, topography and climate, Turkey is exposed to various natural disasters causing substantial losses of life and property. There have been 58 major destructive earthquakes during the period of 1903 and 1999 (including the two newest earthquakes in western Turkey). Collectively, they have killed more than 100,000 people, injured and impaired another 150,000 and destroyed about 420,000 homes and buildings. These figures tell us each year an average of around 800 people died as a result of earthquakes.

The following table presents elements such as population, surface, surface area, major industry centers and dams under risk in Turkey:

The table showas that approximately half of the surface area is under high earthquake riska and about half of the population live in either highest or high risk zones.

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Brief Introduction of The Region

The latest earthquake of November 12, 1999 has occured around the town of Duzce which is the biggest town of Bolu province after downtown Bolu. Generally the area is less populated and less industrialized than Izmit region of the August earthquake. Duzce has a population of 80,000 located 100 km east of Adapazari and 190 km northwest of nation's capital Ankara. The area is generally mountenaous and the economy heavily depends of agriculture. The population in the rural areas are still more than that of the urban areas.

The region actually belongs to Western Black Sea Region, one of the seven major geographical regions in Turkey. The earthquake has occured within the borders of Bolu province. There are two major freeways passing through the area connecting Istanbul and Ankara the two biggest cities and economical resources. The fisrt freeway is the old D-100 freeway and the second one is the new TEM (Trans European Motorway) which is 95% completed. The only part left is the Bolu Mountain Tunnel and the viaducts around. After the construction of these major routes, the ground transportation has grown very fast leading to an economical activity around Bolu, Izmit and Adapazari especially after late 70's. Therefore these freeways are very important for the Turkish economy.

This area also accomodates an important percentage of the nation's forests, having a relatively cold and humid climate than the southern parts. It is usually snowy during the winter and the snow stays on ground for about 6 months on the mountains. There has been some development in touristical facilities and development during the last two decades as new hotels, resorts, camping grounds and ski resorts have been opened. The local industry is still small-scaled and is still growing with the help of automotive, food processing and agricultural plants.