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Izmit (Kocaeli) Turkey Earthquake, August 17, 1999-Set 1, Coastal Effects |
| On August 17, 1999, at 3:02 am local time (00:02 GMT) a magnitude (Mw) 7.4 earthquake occurred on the northern Anatolian fault. The epicenter was located very close to the south shore of the Bay of Izmit, an eastward extension of the Marmara Sea. The location of this earthquake and its proximity to a populous region on the Bay of Izmit contributed greatly to its damaging effects. The total estimated loss for port facilities in the region was around $200 million (US). Subsidence and slumping caused much of the coastal damage, but a tsunami was generated that also caused coastal damage and deaths. |
Hereke | |
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The town of Hereke, on north Izmit Bay, had a small harbor and a municipal pier. The local police office reported that the wave came up a small inlet and flooded to a depth of 50 cm over the parking area in front of the police station. There was a significant slope failure on the east side of the harbor about 60 m long by 12 m wide. A one-meter by 30 cm concrete sidewalk also fell into the harbor along the entire length of the slope failure. A slope failure in the small harbor of Hereke. Note exposed grass roots in the center of the photo. Photo credit: Jose C. Borrero, University of Southern California |
Hereke | |
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The town of Hereke, on north Izmit Bay, had a small harbor and a municipal pier. The local police office reported that the wave came up a small inlet and flooded to a depth of 50 cm over the parking area in front of the police station. There was a significant slope failure on the east side of the harbor about 60 m long by 12 m wide. A one-meter by 30 cm concrete sidewalk also fell into the harbor along the entire length of the slope failure. A small slope failure from earthquake-related subsidence in the harbor of Hereke. Note the submerged tree in the center of the photo and undermining on the slope. Photo credit: Jose C. Borrero, University of Southern California |
Sirinyali | |
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Sirinyali, a few kilometers west of Yalikent, had the highest measured runup (2.52 m). The wave was more forceful here than in any other place. It broke the windows of the waterfront basement apartments and flooded them with seashells and seaweed. There was also subsidence of 10-15 cm at this location. These ground floor windows were blown out by the force of the tsunami in the town of Sirinyali, located on north Izmit Bay. The room was filled with sea debris, seaweed, clamshells, and sand. The tsunami is thought to have reached 2.52 meters at this point, the highest runup measurement. Photo credit: Jose C. Borrero, University of Southern California |
Sirinyali | |
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Sirinyali, a few kilometers west of Yalikent, had the highest measured runup (2.52 m). The wave was more forceful here than in any other place. It broke the windows of the waterfront basement apartments and flooded them with seashells and seaweed. There was also subsidence of 10-15 cm at this location. Dr. Costas Synolakis, University of Southern California, takes a photo of tsunami evidence in Sirinyali. Seaweed hangs on the fence and stairs, and shells lay on the apartment deck. Water from the tsunami rose up over the fence at this location. Photo credit: Jose C. Borrero, University of Southern California |
Sirinyali | |
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Sirinyali, a few kilometers west of Yalikent, had the highest measured runup (2.52 m). The wave was more forceful here than in any other place. It broke the windows of the waterfront basement apartments and flooded them with seashells and seaweed. There was also subsidence of 10-15 cm at this location. The height of the tsunami runup may be inferred by the gray markings on the posts and on the wall to the right on this second floor balcony. Note the height of people standing on the beach at sea level below the balcony. This is an indication of the wave height at this location. Seaweed traces are also visible on the balcony. Photo credit: Jose C. Borrero, University of Southern California |
Sirinyali | |
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Sirinyali, a few kilometers west of Yalikent, had the highest measured runup (2.52 m). The wave was more forceful here than in any other place. It broke the windows of the waterfront basement apartments and flooded them with seashells and seaweed. There was also subsidence of 10-15 cm at this location. These cliffs between Sirinyali and Hereke became unstable and failed during the quake, leaving the pipes partially unsupported and in danger of falling. The earthquake shaking weakened the ground and caused the subsidence. No trace of the wave was found along one kilometer of coast in this area. However, there were eyewitness accounts and physical evidence of two meter runup two kilometers in either direction along the rocky coast. Photo credit: Jose C. Borrero, University of Southern California |
Yalikent | |
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Yalikent. A leading tsunami depression wave that withdrew about 25 m was followed by a tsunami wave from the southeast with a measured runup of 1.6 meters. The septic system was flooded as the wave came in, causing a back-flushing of toilets and sinks. Several small boats were pulled out to sea, and two were lost. Wooden benches and other debris washed up on the beach. There was a permanent sea level rise relative to the small pier, indicating local subsidence of 15-20 cm. These pillar-like concrete benches were knocked over by the tsunami at Yalikent. Note the seaweed deposits and the grass that is turning brown from the salt water brought in by the tsunami. Photo credit: Jose C. Borrero, University of Southern California |
Yalikent | |
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Yalikent. A leading tsunami depression wave that withdrew about 25 m was followed by a tsunami wave from the southeast with a measured runup of 1.6 meters. The septic system was flooded as the wave came in, causing a back-flushing of toilets and sinks. Several small boats were pulled out to sea, and two were lost. Wooden benches and other debris washed up on the beach. There was a permanent sea level rise relative to the small pier, indicating local subsidence of 15-20 cm. The wave came up over the seawall and the asphalt, flooding this swimming pool. Photo credit: Jose C. Borrero, University of Southern California |
Degirmendere | |
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The town of Degirmendere was very close to the epicenter of the earthquake, and felt the strongest shaking. Many buildings were destroyed, and fatalities were heavy in the surrounding area. The shoreline subsided about two meters, and the water line advanced 50 m inland from its location prior to the earthquake. The scarp, left by subsidence, was approximately two meters tall. Prior to August 17, the area in the center of town was the location of a restaurant, park, and the four-story Koruk Hotel. After the quake, the entire area was beneath the waters of Izmit Bay. Water from the first wave came over the road and into the first floor of the buildings along the shore. Boats were snapped in pieces along the promenade and washed 30 m inland by the wave. Reports indicated that a huge refrigerator used by ice-cream sellers on the promenade was washed up onto the second floor balcony of an apartment. The snapped prow of a wooden rowboat was embedded in a shop front. Tons of fish were washed ashore onto seafront properties (popular holiday homes for Turkish families living in industrial centers like Izmit and Istanbul). A passenger ferry was stranded in what used to be a popular amusement park that was also flooded by the waves. Debris and subsidence along the shore in Degirmendere. Note partially submerged trees at left. The tsunami flowed over the street and into the buildings to the right. Also, a portion of the street in this area subsided into the bay. Note the boat in the small roofed structure in the center of the photo. Photo credit: Jose C. Borrero, University of Southern California |
Degirmendere | |
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The town of Degirmendere was very close to the epicenter of the earthquake, and felt the strongest shaking. Many buildings were destroyed, and fatalities were heavy in the surrounding area. The shoreline subsided about two meters, and the water line advanced 50 m inland from its location prior to the earthquake. The scarp, left by subsidence, was approximately two meters tall. Prior to August 17, the area in the center of town was the location of a restaurant, park, and the four-story Koruk Hotel. After the quake, the entire area was beneath the waters of Izmit Bay. Water from the first wave came over the road and into the first floor of the buildings along the shore. Boats were snapped in pieces along the promenade and washed 30 m inland by the wave. Reports indicated that a huge refrigerator used by ice-cream sellers on the promenade was washed up onto the second floor balcony of an apartment. The snapped prow of a wooden rowboat was embedded in a shop front. Tons of fish were washed ashore onto seafront properties (popular holiday homes for Turkish families living in industrial centers like Izmit and Istanbul). A passenger ferry was stranded in what used to be a popular amusement park that was also flooded by the waves. The view looks past a jumble of earthquake and tsunami damage toward the coastline at Degirmendere. Note the leaning light poles. Photo credit: Jose C. Borrero, University of Southern California |
Degirmendere | |
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The town of Degirmendere was very close to the epicenter of the earthquake, and felt the strongest shaking. Many buildings were destroyed, and fatalities were heavy in the surrounding area. The shoreline subsided about two meters, and the water line advanced 50 m inland from its location prior to the earthquake. The scarp, left by subsidence, was approximately to meters tall. Prior to August 17, the area in the center of town was the location of a restaurant, park, and the four-story Koruk Hotel. After the quake, the entire area was beneath the waters of Izmit Bay. The people in this boat, offshore at Degirmendere, are recovering bodies. More than 150 bodies were pulled out of the Sea of Marmara at this point. The visible subsidence scarp, approximately two meters in height, is only a small portion of the subsidence. (Compare the height of the scarp with the height of the people.) There was a restaurant and tall trees where the water is now. The partially submerged trees (midway at the back of the photo) were probably as tall as those growing in the background, indicating the amount of subsidence in the foreground. The subsidence is much greater than the visible scarp in the foreground. The appearance of the water is due to oil from the Tupras refinery. Tupras, Turkey's largest oil refinery, located at Korfez across the Bay of Izmit, caught fire as a result of the earthquake. Photo credit: Jose C. Borrero, University of Southern California |
Degirmendere | |
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The town of Degirmendere was very close to the epicenter of the earthquake, and felt the strongest shaking. Many buildings were destroyed, and fatalities were heavy in the surrounding area. The shoreline subsided about two meters, and the water line advanced 50 m inland from its location prior to the earthquake. The scarp, left by subsidence, was approximately two meters tall. Prior to August 17, the area in the center of town was the location of a restaurant, park, and the four-story Koruk Hotel. After the quake, the entire area was beneath the waters of Izmit Bay. Water from the first wave came over the road and into the first floor of the buildings along the shore. Boats were snapped in pieces along the promenade and wished 30 m inland by the wave. Reports indicated that a huge refrigerator used by ice-cream sellers on the promenade was washed up onto the second floor balcony of an apartment. The snapped prow of a wooden rowboat was embedded in a shop front. Tons of fish were washed ashore onto seafront properties (popular holiday homes for Turkish families living in industrial centers like Izmit and Istanbul). A passenger ferry was stranded in what used to be a popular amusement park that was also flooded by the waves. Southeastern end of Izmit Bay showing coastal subsidence. Note the partially submerged trees in the foreground. Subsidence of two to four meters occurred here (note the submerged light posts). Buildings were flooded to the second floor. Photo credit: Jose C. Borrero, University of Southern California |
Halidere | |
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In Halidere, all of the boats normally on the beaches floated 30-50 meters up the streets. The measured runup here was between one and two meters. A mooring buoy was deposited in one resident's back yard. Seaweed traces were found 50 meters up a street. The residents reported that the sea level had risen two meters or more and that a beach in front of the seawall had disappeared. A road ended abruptly in the bay. Everything had subsided about two meters. A partial pllapse of a five-story building in the foreground at Halidere, with surviving structures in the distance. Note earthquake damaged windows in the building on the right. Photo credit: Jose C. Borrero, University of Southern California |
Halidere | |
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In Halidere, all of the boats normally on the beaches floated 30-50 meters up the streets. The measured runup here was between one and two meters. A mooring buoy was deposited in one resident's back yard. Seaweed traces were found 50 meters up a street. The residents reported that the sea level had risen two meters or more and that a beach in front of the seawall had disappeared. A road ended abruptly in the bay. Everything had subsided about two meters. Four identical buildings at Halidere. Only one of the structures failed. The failure was probably due to unconsolidated slope soils. Note the position of the boats on shore in the center foreground. Photo credit: Jose C. Borrero, University of Southern California |
Halidere | |
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In Halidere, all of the boats normally on the beaches floated 30-50 meters up the streets. The measured runup here was between one and two meters. A mooring buoy was deposited in one resident's back yard. Seaweed traces were found 50 meters up a street. The residents reported that the sea level had risen two meters or more and that a beach in front of the seawall had disappeared. A road ended abruptly in the bay. Everything had subsided about two meters. Earthquake damage along the south coast of Izmit Bay. Note the flattened building on the shore and the boat between the trees. All the windows appear to be missing on the first floor of the other buildings. Debris from the tsunami has been deposited in the trees. Photo credit: Jose C. Borrero, University of Southern California |
Halidere | |
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In Halidere, all of the boats normally on the beaches floated 30-50 meters up the streets. The measured runup here was between one and two meters. A mooring buoy was deposited in one resident's back yard. Seaweed traces were found 50 meters up a street. The residents reported that the sea level had risen two meters or more and that a beach in front of the seawall had disappeared. A road ended abruptly in the bay. Everything had subsided about two meters. Earthquake damage along the coast between Halidere and Degirmendere. Note the overturned boat on shore in the center right of the photo. Also note the overturned pillar in the center of the photo. Photo credit: Jose C. Borrero, University of Southern California |
Guzelyali | |
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Guzelyali is a small fishing harbor on the south shore of Izmit Bay. The harbor is located behind a breakwater. According to reports, a leading depression wave was followed by a tsunami overtopping the seawall in the back of the harbor, causing small boats to lose their mooring lines. When the sea wall was measured, a height of 1.25 m was obtained for the tsunami. The entire harbor was covered with a 2.5 cm to 15 cm (1-6 inch) thick layer of oil that may have come from the large refinery fire across Izmit Bay. A tsunami flooded this collapsed building east of Guzelyali. Subsidence along the shoreline made the piers and moorings unsafe. Tsunami data collectors had to approach the shore by boat to take measurements of tsunami runup. Partially submerged trees are visible in the left background. Photo credit: Jose C. Borrero, University of Southern California |
Guzelyali | |
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Guzelyali is a small fishing harbor on the south shore of Izmit Bay. The harbor is located behind a breakwater. According to reports, a leading depression wave was followed by a tsunami overtopping the seawall in the back of the harbor, causing small boats to lose their mooring lines. When the sea wall was measured, a height of 1.25 m was obtained for the tsunami. The entire harbor was covered with a 2.5 cm to 15 cm (1-6 inch) thick layer of oil that may have come from the large refinery fire across Izmit Bay. Earthquake damage along the waterfront at Guzelyali, east of Karamursel. The first floor of the building collapsed. Soil failure probably contributed to many of the collapsed structures in this area. Photo credit: Jose C. Borrero, University of Southern California |
Karamursel | |
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Karamursel. The combined effects of the tsunami, subsidence, earthquake, and liquefaction left tens of thousands homeless in this region located on the Bay of Izmit. The photo shows evidence of liquefaction and ground failure in the central plaza on Karamursel's waterfront. Photo credit: Jose C. Borrero, University of Southern California |
Karamursel | |
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Karamursel. The combined effects of the tsunami, subsidence, earthquake, and liquefaction left tens of thousands homeless in this region located on the Bay of Izmit. The sidewalk slipped into the sea during the quake when the underlying ground failed along the waterfront at Karamursel. Photo credit: Jose C. Borrero, University of Southern California |