Liquefaction during the June 27, 1998 Adana-Ceyhan (Turkey) earthquake

On June 27, 1998, a moderate earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale struck the alluvial plains of Cukurova in the Adana-Ceyhan region of Turkey. The earthquake resulted in 145 deaths, about a thousand injuries and significant damage to more than ten thousand structures. The coincidence of the projected location of the release of energy along the earthquake fault with a very vulnerable geological surface formation (the thick alluvial deposits of Ceyhan River containing loose sand layers) resulted in liquefied sediments of substantial thickness and extensive areal distribution. Liquefaction associated ground deformations such as lateral spreading, flow failures, ground fissures and subsidence, sand boils, and slope failures were observed. This paper presents and analyses the geotechnical aspects of this earthquake with the main emphasis on the observed liquefaction and associated ground deformations, together with the earthquake characteristics. The observed liquefaction mechanisms provide valuable information on the seismic response of the alluvial soils covering most of the Cukurova plains, an area of industrial and agricultural importance with more than 2 million inhabitants. The observations from this earthquake also provide us with an opportunity to further improve our understanding of the observed phenomena and their effects that can be expected during other future earthquake events around the world.