================ MESSAGE FROM USGS TEAM IN TURKEY ==============
Hello from Istanbul, Turkey.

Members of the ground-motion team have made reconnaisance surveys from
Avcilar (west of Istanbul airport) as far east as Izmit. We have covered
the north and south coasts of the Gulf of Izmit, including the heavily
damaged cities of Korfez, Izmit, Golcuk, and Yalova. Most of the collapsed
or damaged structures are 6-8 story buildings with cast-in-place concrete
columns and beams and in-filled brick walls. Most people were in their
homes when the earthquake struck. A preliminary opinion based on field
observations is that construction quality is a key factor. To the best of
our knowledge, the official name is now the Kocaeli Earthquake.

Our instrumentation is arriving today (23-AUG-1999); we have bought 20 car
batteries and 3 chargers locally. We have nine sites permitted for
installation. Damage is Istanbul is light, but anomalously high near
Avcilar, west of Istanbul airport. We have permitted three sites in this
area so far: one in Yesilkoy (freefield site in an area of moderate damage)
and two in Avcilar (one freefield site outside the damage zone and one
basement site in an area of heavy damage). We will identify four more sites
in this area, and use RefTeks at all seven sites. We have permitted three
sites on Quaternary deposits at the Tupras oil company campus within a zone
of heavy damage near central Korfez, and will deploy K2s in a triangular
array. We have permitted three more K2 sites near the north terminus of the
suspension bridge that will be built across the Gulf of Izmit (between
Gebze and Korfez, near 29.5 degrees longitude). Interest in this site is
based on proximity of rock and man-made fill sites, and future construction
of the bridge and new port facilities. In general, access to some heavily
damaged areas has been limited by access, noise, and health considerations
so far.

Here are some useful email addresses:
Kandilli mirror: www.pcmagazine.com.tr/deprem/earthquake.htm
Kandilli mirror: kandilli.koc.net/earthqk.htm
(these mirrors may be faster than koeri.boun.edu.tr...)
Some geology info: www.mta.gov.tr
Government strong motion: angora.deprem.gov.tr/kocaeliearthquake.html

USGS Turkey Team