Türkiye and Syria were struck by a series of powerful earthquakes in February 2023. Prof Görüm and colleagues documented the impacts of these earthquakes, which triggered landslides and regional flooding. The earthquakes were followed by a strong atmospheric river 36 days later, which brought with it intense rainfall. The downpours triggered further landslides and disrupted recovery work. Using reanalysis and hydrometeorological data, the authors showed that the earthquake impacts were worsened by the atmospheric river. In the future, they recommend considering atmospheric rivers when assessing multi-hazard risk.
Prof. Görüm says: “What we witnessed on the site of the Türkiye and Syria earthquakes made us realize how we need to change our perception of disasters and, in particular, disaster response in an era of climate change. We need to find effective search and rescue approaches that are backed by science, updated frequently as new findings emerge, and supported with up-to-date technology and open data. Disaster preparedness and response should not evolve in a vacuum; instead, they need to take into account the dynamic nature of hazards. We need multi-disciplinary scientific studies to support and direct these initiatives, and incorporate local knowledge and public participation into our efforts.”
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Reference
Görüm, T. et al. The 2023 Türkiye-Syria earthquake disaster was exacerbated by an atmospheric river. Commun. Earth Environ. 6, 151 (2025).
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Drinkwater, A. Field in the frame: a bird’s eye view of Türkiye-Syria earthquakes. Commun Earth Environ 6, 890 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02902-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02902-0
