Thermodynamic Assessment of the Causes of the Death of the People Under the Debris in an Earthquake

Abstract

Mortality rate of the crush victims in the Marmara earthquake of August 1999 was compared with the conclusions arrived after making thermodynamic assessment of the data acquired in the previous earthquakes. Entropic age concept was found very helpful while assessing the data. Mortality rate in the age group of 0-9 years old crush victims was 0 because the basal metabolic rate (BMR) of these children was low. The earthquake happened at 3:03 a.m. in the morning and it was probably at the coldest time of the day; therefore, the victims were losing sufficient heat to avoid hyperpraxia, where body temperature reaches to 40°C or above. As the population and the age of the victims increase more people died and the survival rate decreased. The highest mortality rate was in the 60+ age group. According to the entropic age concept, these group of victims had already accumulated a lot of entropy (e.g., heath problems) in their bodies in previous stages of their lives; therefore, they were more prone to death.