Turkey Earthquake: Magnitude 4.1 Quake Strikes Samsun (Representational image)
Photo : ANI
An earthquake of magnitude 4.1 occurred 29 km north of Samsun, Turkey, the United States Geological Survey reported. Although the magnitude of the earthquake on March 11 was initially recorded above 4, but it could be either upgraded or downgraded on the Richter scale by the authorities. The exact time at which the quake struck the Turkish province was 3:11 am (GMT-3).
The epicenter of the earthquake was reported near Samsun and it hit at a shallow depth of 15.9 km beneath the province. Residents of the Turkish city of Samsun felt tremors due to the earthquake, based on the reactions on social media early morning on Monday. Meanwhile, the exact depth of the quake was revised to 15.1 km by the USGS minutes after its seismologists measured it 0.8 km more than what it actually was.
Notably, Samsun is one of the largest cities on the north coast of Turkey. The city is also the Capital of Samsun Province and it has 700,000 inhabitants of the overall 1,350,000 population of the province.
Meanwhile, Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) listed the quake at magnitude 4.0. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) reports a magnitude of 4.2 for the same earthquake, whereas the Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute in Istanbul (KOERI-RETMC) reports a magnitude of 4.5.
There are no reports of any major damages or anyone getting hurt due to the seismic event that struck Turkey on Monday. Despite no major jolts, reports suggest that the residents felt light vibration in the area of the epicenter.
Volcanodicovery estimates suggest that the quake may have caused weak shaking felt in Samsun located 29 km from the epicenter, and another urban center Paura 33 km away. Other towns or cities near the epicenter where the tremors might have been felt include Tekkeköy, Çarşamba, Terme, Havza, Vezirköprü, Ünye (pop. 77,600) , and Erbaa.
