Special Issue for 2023 Türkiye/Syria earthquakes

2023-02-22

Full title: "Insights and lessons from the devastating 2023 Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye earthquake sequence".

Editorial Team:

Guest Editors

  • Aybige Akıncı (Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Italy)
  • Didem Cambaz (Kandilli Observatory & Earthquake Research Institute, Türkiye) 
  • Edwin Nissen (University of Victoria, Canada) 
  • Elif Oral (California Institute of Technology, U.S.)
  • Arda Özacar (Middle East Technical University, Türkiye)
  • Ali Pınar (Boğaziçi University, Türkiye)
  • Danielle Sumy (EarthScope Consortium, U.S.)

Production Editor

Stephen Hicks (University College London, U.K.)

Consulting Editor

Ezgi Karasözen (University of Alaska Fairbanks, U.S.)

Description and Scope:

We are all absolutely heartbroken at the sheer devastation and loss of life following the Mw7.8 and Mw7.5 earthquakes that hit Türkiye and Syria in February 2023. As scientists who study the physical mechanisms and impacts of earthquakes, we know all too well about their power, yet the horrendous scenes coming out of Türkiye and Syria have still hit us hard. There will be numerous scientific analyses from the dense observational datasets that captured these earthquakes and their consequences. We hope that these analyses will provide new insights into one of the largest continental earthquakes and feed directly into improved disaster risk reduction worldwide. To facilitate the dissemination of these vital scientific insights, Seismica is announcing a special journal issue on this important earthquake sequence, with papers free-to-publish and free-to-read. We invite submissions on the following topics, but this list is not exhaustive:

  • Observations and modelling of the earthquake ruptures and post-seismic deformation (e.g., afterslip, aftershocks)
  • Geophysical, geological (e.g., tectonic, paleoseismological) and engineering context leading up to the earthquakes
  • Analysis of secondary effects and hazards (e.g., surface rupture, landslides)
  • Engineering seismology and earthquake engineering insights on the strong ground shaking and building damage.
  • Quantifying, implementing and communicating seismic hazard models.
  • Communicating the science: what went well, what went wrong, what can we do better in the future?

We particularly invite work from those working in Türkiye and Syria.

Submission:

All submissions will be accepted for this special issue until February 2024. Fast Reports can be submitted until 1 September 2023. In the case of the special issue, the number of figures for Fast Reports may not be limited to three for the special issue, but manuscripts are still expected to be short and concise. 

Confirmed Arabic- and Turkish-speaking scientist-volunteers will provide translations of abstracts and plain language summaries into local languages.

To submit to this Special Issue, please select “Special Issue: 2023 Türkiye/Syria earthquakes” in the dropdown “Section” box on the submission page. For your submission to be considered a Fast Report, please note this in the “Comments to the Editor” free-text box.

Questions? Please contact Stephen Hicks (Production Editor) at stephen.hicks@ucl.ac.uk 

Fast Reports can be submitted until 6 months from the special issue launch date. Research articles will be accepted for this special issue until February 2024.

We particularly invite work from those working in Türkiye and Syria.

Where possible, abstracts and plain language summaries will also be printed in local languages.

To submit to this Special Issue, please select “Special Issue: 2023 Türkiye/Syria earthquakes” in the dropdown "Section" box on the submission page. If you would like your submission to be considered as a Fast Report, please note this in the “Comments to the Editor” free-text box.