Anatolian Plate

Context: Recently an earthquake of magnitude 7.8 struck Turkiye, one of the most seismically active regions in the Mediterranean and the world.

About the Anatolian Plate:

• Turkiye (the Turkish/Anatolian plate) sits between three major tectonic plates: African, Arabian and Eurasian.
• The Anatolian Plate is a continental tectonic plate comprising most of the Anatolia (Asia Minor) peninsula (and the country of Turkey).
• To the east, the East Anatolian Fault, a left lateral transform fault, forms a boundary with the Arabian Plate.
  • To the south and southwest is a convergent boundary with the African Plate.
• The Anatolian plate is divided into three major fault zones: North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ), East Anatolian Fault Zone (EAFZ), South Eastern Anatolian Thrust Zone (SAT)
• Collisions between the Arabian and African plates with Eurasia typically result in earthquakes.

Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale

• It is a seismic intensity scale used for measuring the intensity of shaking produced by an earthquake.
• It describes the effects of an earthquake on human beings, natural structures and industrial installations in a given region.
• The scale is designated in roman numerals.

Source: DownToEarth

Previous Year Questions

Q.1) Consider the following pairs:

Region often mentioned in the news:   Country

1. Anatolia                                               Turkey
2. Amhara                                               Ethiopia
3. Cabo Delgado                                     Spain
4. Catalonia                                             Italy

How many pairs given above are correctly matched? (2022)

1. Only one pair
2. Only two pairs
3. Only three pairs
4. All four pairs

Q.2) With references to India, Didwana, Kuchaman, Sargol and khatu are the names of  (2021)

1. Glaciers
2. Mangrove areas
3. Ramsar sites
4. Saline lakes