Earthquake and Tsunami Disaster Mitigation in the Marmara Region and Disaster Education in Turkey

Using simulations to visualize sea-bottom observations and other research results
The Marmara Sea region has a high population density, and includes Istanbul, the center of Turkey's economy. However, under the sea is there a seismic gap associated with a giant earthquake. Considering the level of damage caused by the 1999 Izmit earthquake in the neighboring region to the east, the risk in Marmara is large. Despite that risk, Turkey still has many outstanding issues for disaster mitigation, including building structures that are not compliant with seismic codes. This project will make seismic observations of the sea-bottom and surrounding regions, and produce simulations that make the disaster risk visual. In order to build a strong, long-lasting awareness of disaster preparedness, the project team will organize Regional Disaster Prevention Communities together with local authorities and other entities, and will disseminate the information about disaster prevention through the media to deepen the understanding of disasters.

Providing a scientific basis we will advance disaster education, and it can be applied to earthquake research in Japan
The project will raise the accuracy and speed of existing real-time earthquake and tsunami analysis in Turkey. Through progress in disaster education based on scientific evidence, we will aim to raise the people's awareness of disaster, and by means of joint proposal for disaster management, will attempt to extend the benefits of the research outcomes to the whole of Turkey. The research will also assist in elucidating the mechanisms of earthquakes anticipated in Japan, such as Tokyo metropolitan near-field earthquakes and the interconnected Tokai, Tonankai, and Nankai earthquakes.