Earth-observation satellites continue to assess the extensive damage caused in Turkey and Syria by a series of devastating earthquakes on February 6. New images from the American earth observation company Maxar Technologies show surface cracks(opens in a new tab) three lithosphere plates meeting in the affected area – Anatolian, Arabian and African – emerged when that fateful Monday collided.

In one of these images, a surface crack running through the Turkish city of Nurdağı shows thousands of people dying under collapsed buildings. Maxar satellites also noticed the gap Near Turkoglu cityAbout 20 miles (32 kilometers) north of Nurdagi, where the crack can be seen from a few miles away.

Footage captured by researchers and eyewitnesses on the ground is testament to the immense power the series unleashes. earthquakesThe peak was two shocks with powers of 7.8 and 7.5 on the Richter scale, respectively. picture This photo, shared on Twitter by American geologist Shreya Arora, shows the edge of a cliff that separates a formerly snow-covered straight slope.

Earthquakes worst in decades in tectonically dangerous region around TurkeySyria the border has killed more than 37,000 people and left tens of thousands homeless. Rescue operations are progressing slowly, especially on the Syrian side of the border, where aid has been blocked by years of civil war.

Formerly European Earth observation satellites Professor Tim Wright, head of the UK’s Center for Earthquake, Volcano and Tectonic Observation and Modeling, told Space that the two fissures, separated by two main shocks last week, were among the longest ever seen. .com last week

The longer crack created by the first, stronger 7.8 earthquake stretches 190 miles (300 km) northeast of the northeastern tip of the Mediterranean Sea. Opened by a second, slightly lighter shock, a shorter 80-mile (125 km) long crack runs west to east, partially parallel to the first crack. The images showed the ground moving 16 feet (5 meters) in parts of the crack.