IZMIT (A.A) - 09.08.2002 - Experts of General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration (MTA) and Japanese Geological Researches Agency will examine Izmit's Rahmiye village section of North Anatolia Fault Line which cracked during the devastating earthquake of Marmara on August 17, 1999 and which led to death of thousands of people.
Sources told A.A correspondent on Friday that experts of MTA and Japanese Geological Researches Agency were making researches on two holes each 5 meters in depth in the mentioned region.
The sources said that experts will take into consideration the findings and set the date and magnitude of former earthquakes.
MTA Kocaeli Regional Director Ahmet Mahir Serdar said that they were trying to observe the changes in the fault line with the support of five Japanese experts.
Serdar noted that these works would help gain important data about time and magnitude of earthquakes that rocked Kocaeli.
Natural Disasters Researches Coordinator Omer Emre said that researches were expected to continue for five more days. He stated that they could get the result of the researches within a year.
Emre noted that a similar research would be carried out in Izmit Gulf, Sakarya and Bursa.
Shingi Toda of the Japanese delegation said that they carried out a similar research on San Andreas fault line in the United States, adding that they could observe the frequency and magnitude of earthquakes in the region at the end of their efforts.