Investigation Of Earthquake Damage in Terms of Different Land Covers: 2023 Kahramanmaraş Earthquakes

Abstract

On February 6, 2023, the Kahramanmaras earthquakes in Türkiye caused great loss of life and property. Studies on earthquake damage in the literature mostly focus on the built-up area, but studies on the land cover are limited. This study examines how earthquake damage differs in different land cover types. Land cover data and earthquake damage data are the main datasets. The areas with the highest damage rates are identified as bare ground, rangeland, and built-up area, respectively. Damage in agricultural and forest areas is lower. The findings show that damage is different for different land cover types. While assessments of earthquake damage are largely based on the built environment, this study reveals that earthquake damage is also important for different land cover types.