KOERI Earthquake Catalog Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute, Boğaziçi University

Overview

The Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute (KOERI) Earthquake Catalog is an online seismological database maintained by KOERI, a research institute of Boğaziçi University in Istanbul, Turkey. The catalog provides access to historical and real-time earthquake data for Turkey and surrounding regions, compiled from KOERI's extensive seismic monitoring network.

History and Founding

The Kandilli Observatory was originally established in 1868 as the Imperial Observatory (Rasathane-i Amire) in Istanbul under the Ottoman Empire. After being destroyed during the 31 March 1909 incident, it was reestablished in its current location in the Kandilli neighborhood of Üsküdar, with systematic research beginning on 1 July 1911. In 1982, the observatory was annexed to Boğaziçi University, and in 1983 it was formally named the Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute (KOERI). KOERI's seismic observation history dates to 1894, when the first seismograph was deployed in response to the devastating Istanbul earthquake of that year.

Collections and Holdings

The KOERI Earthquake Catalog covers seismic events recorded by a network of over 240 stations across Turkey, recording approximately 1,500 earthquakes per month during normal seismicity. The catalog includes historical data extending back to the early 20th century and has been used extensively in seismic hazard studies. KOERI also serves as a node in the European Integrated Data Archive (EIDA) and provides data to the Observatories and Research Facilities for European Seismology (ORFEUS). The institute's archives also include the Kandilli manuscript collection of over 1,300 works on Ottoman astronomy and science, inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World register in 2001.

Access and Usage

The earthquake catalog is freely accessible online, providing parameters including location, depth, magnitude, and time for seismic events. KOERI is the designated National Data Center for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) for Turkey. The institute also operates a Regional Earthquake and Tsunami Monitoring Center (RETMC).