What is an aftershock – and why are mass landslides now likely after the earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria?
Two powerful earthquakes and dozens of aftershocks have wrought incalculable destruction on parts of Turkey and Syria, with much of the devastation hitting communities already vulnerable following a decade of war.
It is feared the death toll could rise to more than 20,000.
The initial 7.8 magnitude quake was followed by a 6.7 magnitude aftershock just 11 minutes later.
Another quake – almost as strong as the first, at 7.5 magnitude – hit the area within hours on Monday.
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What causes earthquakes?
An earthquake is caused by what’s known as a “sudden slip” on a fault line.
The Earth’s tectonic plates are always moving, but they can get stuck at their edges due to friction, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) says.
It’s when this stress at the edge overcomes the friction that an earthquake occurs, releasing energy in waves that travel through the Earth’s crust and cause the shakes that we feel on the surface.
Yesterday’s quake struck along the East Anatolian Fault zone, which runs from eastern to south-central Turkey.
Alex Hatem, a USGS research geologist, said in this case, “one plate moved west while the other moved east”.
A satellite map of areas impacted by the Turkey-Syria earthquake. Pic: United Nations Satellite Centre
The Turkey-Syria disaster is thought to be a “strike-slip” quake, which occurs when two tectonic plates slide past each other horizontally.
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Why was the quake so deadly?
What’s the difference between an earthquake and an aftershock?
Aftershocks are a sequence of quakes that happen after the larger “mainshock” on a fault.
They tend to occur near the fault where the mainshock occurred and are part of the “readjustment process” after the main slip on the fault, the scientists at USGS say.
They become less frequent as time passes following the initial shock, but can continue for days, weeks, months, or even years.
When an earthquake hit the East Anatolian area in 1822, aftershocks continued throughout the following year.
The strongest aftershock after yesterday’s quake was recorded as a 7.5 magnitude quake.
That’s what made this such a rare and unusual disaster.
The last time there were any tremors of similar strength in the region was in 1872.
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Sky’s Tom Clarke explains how the earthquake unfolded
Several fault lines run through Turkey and Syria
The major aftershock was probably caused by the initial quake destabilising an adjacent fault that had also accumulated geological stresses over the years.
No wonder then that Stephen Hicks, a seismologist at University College London, told Sky News on Monday that what Turkey and Syria have experienced is “the worst kind of earthquake”.
Why are mass landslides likely following the earthquake?
Professor Bruce Malamud, an expert in natural and environmental Hazards at King’s College London, warns that “hundreds if not thousands” of landslides could now follow the devastating earthquake.
It means that thousands of people affected by the quake could face fresh danger.
Strong earthquake ground shaking increases the likelihood of landslides in certain areas.
If the ground is saturated with water, particularly following heavy rainfall, the shaking will result in more landslides than normal.
e said: “As a result of the Turkey earthquake, the hazard relief agencies and managers will also be conscious of other natural hazards and multi-hazard cascades.
“The seismic activity will likely trigger hundreds if not thousands of landslides in the hours to days after the earthquake and subsequent aftershocks.”
Those organising the large-scale evacuations of people will need to be conscious that they are not transferred to an at-risk area.
Around 14 million people could die across the world over the next five years because of cuts to the US Agency for International Development (USAID), researchers have warned.
Children under five are expected to make up around a third (4.5 million) of the mortalities, according to a study published in The Lancet medical journal.
Estimates showed that “unless the abrupt funding cuts announced and implemented in the first half of 2025 are reversed, a staggering number of avoidable deaths could occur by 2030”.
“Beyond causing millions of avoidable deaths – particularly among the most vulnerable – these cuts risk reversing decades of progress in health and socioeconomic development in LMICs [low and middle-income countries],” the report said.
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USAID programmes have prevented the deaths of more than 91 million people, around a third of them among children, the study suggests.
The agency’s work has been linked to a 65% fall in deaths from HIV/AIDS, or 25.5 million people.
Eight million deaths from malaria, more than half the total, around 11 million from diarrheal diseases and nearly five million from tuberculosis (TB), have also been prevented.
USAID has been vital in improving global health, “especially in LMICs, particularly African nations,” according to the report.
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Established in 1961, the agency was tasked with providing humanitarian assistance and helping economic growth in developing countries, especially those deemed strategic to Washington.
But the Trump administration has made little secret of its antipathy towards the agency, which became an early victim of cuts carried out by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) – formerly led by Elon Musk – in what the US government said was part of a broader plan to remove wasteful spending.
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What is USAID?
In March, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said more than 80% of USAID schemes had been closed following a six-week review, leaving around 1,000 active.
The US is the world’s largest humanitarian aid donor, providing around $61bn (£44bn) in foreign assistance last year, according to government data, or at least 38% of the total, and USAID is the world’s leading donor for humanitarian and development aid, the report said.
Between 2017 and 2020, the agency responded to more than 240 natural disasters and crises worldwide – and in 2016 it sent food assistance to more than 53 million people across 47 countries.
The study assessed all-age and all-cause mortality rates in 133 countries and territories, including all those classified as low and middle-income, supported by USAID from 2001 to 2021.
Thailand’s prime minister has been suspended after a leaked phone call with a senior Cambodian politician caused outrage.
An ethics investigation into Paetongtarn Shinawatra is under way and she could end up being dismissed.
The country’s constitutional court took up a petition from 36 senators, who claimed dishonesty and a breach of ethical standards, and voted 7 to 2 to suspend her.
Protesters gathered in Bangkok at the weekend. Pic: Reuters
The prime minister’s call with Cambodia’s former leader, Hun Sen, sparked public protests after she tried to appease him and criticised a Thai army commander – a taboo move in a country where the military is extremely influential.
Ms Shinawatra was trying to defuse mounting tensions at the border – which in May resulted in the death of one Cambodian soldier.
Thousands of conservative, nationalist protesters held a demo in Bangkok on Saturday to urge her to step down.
Her party is clinging on to power after another group withdrew from their alliance a few weeks ago over the phone call. Calls for a no-confidence vote are likely.
Deputy prime minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit will take over temporarily while the court looks into the case.
The 38-year-old prime minister – Thailand‘s youngest ever leader – has 15 days to respond to the probe. She has apologised and said her approach in the call was a negotiating tactic.
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The popularity of her government has slumped recently, with an opinion poll showing an approval rating of 9.2%, down from 30.9% in March.
Ms Shinawatra comes from a wealthy dynasty synonymous with Thai politics.
Her father Thaksin Shinawatra – a former Manchester City owner – and aunt Yingluck Shinawatra served as prime minister before her – in the early to mid 2000s – and their time in office also ended ignominiously amid corruption charges and military coups.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be meeting Donald Trump next Monday, according to US officials.
The visit on 7 July comes after Mr Trump suggested it was possible a ceasefire in Gaza could be reached within a week.
On Sunday, he wrote on social media: “MAKE THE DEAL IN GAZA. GET THE HOSTAGES BACK!!!”
At least 60 people killed across Gaza on Monday, in what turned out to be some of the heaviest attacks in weeks.
Benjamin Netanyahu, left, with Donald Trump during a previous meeting. Pic: Reuters
According to the Hamas-run health ministry, 56,500 people have been killed in the 20-month war.
The visit by Mr Netanyahu to Washington has not been formally announced and the officials who said it would be going ahead spoke on condition of anonymity.
An Israeli official in Washington also confirmed the meeting next Monday.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration was in constant communication with the Israeli government.
She said Mr Trump viewed ending the war in Gaza and returning remaining hostages held by Hamas as a top priority.
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The war in Gaza broke out in retaliation for Hamas’ 7 October 2023 attacks on southern Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw a further 250 taken hostage.
An eight-week ceasefire was reached in the final days of Joe Biden’s US presidency, but Israel resumed the war in March after trying to get Hamas to accept new terms on next steps.
Talks between Israel and Hamas have stalled over whether the war should end as part of any ceasefire.
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