7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Erzincan in eastern Turkey on December 27, 1939
The 1939 Erzincan earthquake killed nearly 33,000 people, making it the deadliest natural disaster in Turkey's 20th-century history.
Key Facts
- Moment Magnitude
- 7.8 Mw
- Deaths
- 32,968 people
- Injured
- ~100,000 people
- Surface Rupture Length
- 360 km
- Horizontal Displacement
- Up to 3.7 meters
- Mercalli Intensity
- XII (Extreme)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The earthquake resulted from movement along the North Anatolian Fault Zone, a major strike-slip fault running across northern Turkey. The region had long been subject to seismic stress, and the 1939 event was the first in a prolonged sequence of large earthquakes affecting Turkey along this fault between 1939 and 1999.
At 1:57 a.m. local time on 27 December 1939, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Erzincan Province in eastern Turkey. Surface rupturing occurred along a 360-kilometer segment of the North Anatolian Fault Zone, with horizontal displacement of up to 3.7 meters. The quake reached a maximum Mercalli intensity of XII, the highest possible rating.
The disaster killed 32,968 people and injured approximately 100,000, representing the greatest natural loss of life in Turkey during the 20th century. The earthquake is tied with the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes as the most powerful instrumentally recorded earthquake in Turkish history, and it drew lasting scientific attention to the seismic hazard posed by the North Anatolian Fault.
Human Cost
Each dot represents approximately 10,000 deaths. Total estimated: 32,968 (earthquake)