According to the data announced by AFAD, on January 24, 2020, at 20:55:11 local time, an earthquake with a moment magnitude of Mw=6.8 occurred, centered in Elazığ-Sivrice (38.3593° N, 39.0630° E) at a depth of 8 kilometers.

The prominent seismotectonic structure in the region is the left-lateral strike-slip East Anatolian Fault line, which has been the site of many historical earthquakes. The most recent destructive earthquake on this fault was the 2010 Kovancılar earthquake (Mw=6.1), and it is believed that the 2020 earthquake occurred on the Pütürge segment of the East Anatolian Fault Line.

According to AFAD data, there are five strong ground motion recording stations within a 50 km epicentral distance that recorded the main shock of the Sivrice earthquake. At station code 2308, located in Elazığ and the closest to the epicenter at a distance of 24 km, a maximum ground acceleration of approximately 0.3g was measured in the East-West direction. These values are lower than those in the previous and currently effective Turkey Earthquake Hazard Maps. Detailed seismological analyses will be conducted once all waveforms are obtained.

A field study has been initiated to assess the damages to the building stock in urban and rural areas exposed to the earthquake. Considering the characteristics of the building stock in the region and past similar earthquake damages, it is thought that the Sivrice earthquake could cause widespread damage in buildings that have not received engineering services.

Considering the geological and topographical features of the areas affected by the earthquake shaking, significant differences were observed, and therefore, it is known that this differentiation could also affect structural damage.

Our detailed field studies in the region will comprehensively reveal the seismological, geotechnical, and structural effects of the earthquake.

As METU, in the region, we announce that we will provide scientific support with our knowledge and experience in earthquake disasters, as we have done in the past. We offer our condolences to the relatives of those who lost their lives in the earthquake and wish everyone a speedy recovery.