The 7.8- and 7.5-magnitude quakes that have drawn the world's attention to Turkey were made worse because they emanated from relatively shallow centers, experts say.
The mega-quakes in Turkey this week showcase how a magnitude 7.8 quake could trigger a magnitude 7.5 aftershock on a different fault, with 60 miles of distance between the epicenters. A similar seismic scenario could occur in California.
While new buildings in cities like Istanbul, Turkey were designed with modern earthquake standards in mind, the area of southern Turkey where a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck on Monday had not been seismically retrofitted.
What can hidden motions underground tell us about earthquakes, eruptions, and even climate change? NASA scientists are using data gathered 400 miles above Earth to find out.