This Week On Earth: February 1-7

GAZIANTEP, TURKEY

The colossal 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit the border of Turkey and Syria Monday morning has now claimed the lives of almost 5,000 people, with the number set to rise in the coming days. There have been severe aftershocks following the quake, the most serious measuring 7.5 in magnitude, almost as severe as the original earthquake. The quake hit heavily populated areas which housed older high-rise buildings, and the epicenter was in the Gaziantep province, a major city in Turkey and home to almost 2.1 million people. This was the strongest shock to hit Turkey since the 1939 Erzincan earthquake that also had a magnitude of 7.8 and killed 33,000 people. The two are now tied for the most powerful earthquakes recorded in Turkey.

Recorded as a strike-slip quake, the movement was caused by two tectonic plates sliding past each other horizontally. The aftermath of earthquakes host a myriad of environmental issues, most commonly surface faulting, tsunamis, fires, landslides, and soil liquefactions

CHILE

 Hundreds of wildfires have plagued south-central Chile in recent days, claiming 23 lives since Sunday. The fires are a result of dry and windy conditions coupled with record high summer temperatures, pushing around 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Interior Minister Carolina Tohá told CNN reporters that 28 of the hundreds of fires have burned the amount of forest and woodland the country typically loses over the course of a year. As of early Sunday morning, over 99,000 acres of forest have been burned. This fire is now logged as one of the worst wildfires in the country’s history.

VIETNAM

More than 600 kilograms of ivory have been illegally trafficked from Africa into Vietnam this past week. Although it has been almost 33 years since the ban to end international ivory trade, trafficking of wildlife still remains widespread. This illegal practice devastates elephant populations, with almost 100 African elephants killed each day by poachers seeking meat, body parts, and most notably, ivory. It is estimated that there are only 400,000 elephants left in the world. Experts estimate that if elephant poaching continues at this rate, the species will be extinct within a decade. Although ivory has no intrinsic value, they are traded in the international markets to produce small trinkets and art pieces, often valued up to $3,500 dollars per pound.

CHICAGO

 Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul filed lawsuits against 14 large chemical companies, including 3M and Dupont, for contaminating Illinois water with “forever chemicals.” Forever chemicals, also known as PFAS, are often used in different products to make them grease proof, water-proof, stick-proof, and stain-resistant. The 3M chemical plant in Cordova, Ill., is accused of improperly disposing of waste containing these toxic chemicals. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, exposure to high levels of PFAS in drinking water can result in a myriad of adverse health effects, such as creased cholesterol levels, changes in liver enzymes, hormone disruption and increased risk for thyroid disease, and increased risk of kidney or testicular cancer.