<p>this is what liquefaction looks like, the ground acts like a liquid, this is not ground flow, this is the ground as a whole doing the chacha (s-wave) and the rail going along for the ride. but the rail is strong enough to hold the tailings in place as the ground returns to normal but the rail remains bent. you are basically looking at a freeze frame if what the ground was doing at time time but the rails kind of lock it in place. you are just looking at where the rails bent but did not return.</p>
<p>also remember a rail like this is essentially one continuous piece of steel for miles, there could be a lot of stress being transferred from other areas.</p>
<p>This is what happens when the rails are not as well anchored. and pull themselves away from the soil as the ground returns to normal.  <a href="https://i.sstatic.net/0XhEW.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/0XhEW.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780857092687500050" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780857092687500050</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-02-21T00:20:38.833Z
So, then to explain why the wall is on the right is not damaged, it could be that rail was under strain, the ground liquified and the track buckled.  The wall, however, is probably not under strain, so it didn't move.  Is that plausible?
MemoryWrangler
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-02-21T00:50:13.077Z
that or both moved and the rail prevented the tailings from returning to their original position. its hard to tell from one photo alone
John
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-02-20T23:10:35.357Z
2024-02-20T23:17:51.427Z
2024-02-20T23:17:51.427Z
John
<p>In this image from the 2023 earthquake in Turkey (and many others online), the railway is badly deformed, but structures around it (e.g., the concrete wall to the right and berm to the left) seem unaffected.  What's the mechanism that causes this kind of seemingly-isolated damage to railroads in a earthquake?</p>
<p><img src="https://media.zenfs.com/en/gizmodo_news_915/00a5bd213cc664babaaadcf7bc03fe7c" alt="" /></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-02-19T06:13:22.893Z
this must be a result of ground compression,do you have a source for the picture?
trond hansen
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-02-19T21:42:46.600Z
I found the digital version here: https://news.yahoo.com/surreal-photos-show-exactly-where-140000275.html, but I original saw in a the 19 Jan 2024 issue of Science.  It says "deformed by the quake’s ground shaking and liquefaction" but that doesn't explain why it's so localized.
MemoryWrangler
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-02-21T07:50:38.290Z
I keep wondering if the ballast under the track was thicker, and/or the middle part has a slightly greater slope downhill to the right, causing that specific area to move when disturbed, and not return.  (it seems different from the picture in John's answer, in which it only seems the rail shifted, whereas everything moved here)
JeopardyTempest
<earthquakes>
How does an earthquake bend rail road rails, but not damage the surrounding structures?
MemoryWrangler
# How does an earthquake bend rail road rails, but not damage the surrounding structures?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-02-17)

In this image from the 2023 earthquake in Turkey (and many others online), the railway is badly deformed, but structures around it (e.g., the concrete wall to the right and berm to the left) seem unaffected. What's the mechanism that causes this kind of seemingly-isolated damage to railroads in a earthquake?

![](https://media.zenfs.com/en/gizmodo_news_915/00a5bd213cc664babaaadcf7bc03fe7c)

**Tags:** earthquakes

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: this must be a result of ground compression,do you have a source for the picture?  
> **username_0**: I found the digital version here: https://news.yahoo.com/surreal-photos-show-exactly-where-140000275.html, but I original saw in a the 19 Jan 2024 issue of Science.  It says "deformed by the quake’s ground shaking and liquefaction" but that doesn't explain why it's so localized.  
> **username_2**: I keep wondering if the ballast under the track was thicker, and/or the middle part has a slightly greater slope downhill to the right, causing that specific area to move when disturbed, and not return.  (it seems different from the picture in username_3's answer, in which it only seems the rail shifted, whereas everything moved here)  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2024-02-20. Score: 1

this is what liquefaction looks like, the ground acts like a liquid, this is not ground flow, this is the ground as a whole doing the chacha (s-wave) and the rail going along for the ride. but the rail is strong enough to hold the tailings in place as the ground returns to normal but the rail remains bent. you are basically looking at a freeze frame if what the ground was doing at time time but the rails kind of lock it in place. you are just looking at where the rails bent but did not return.

also remember a rail like this is essentially one continuous piece of steel for miles, there could be a lot of stress being transferred from other areas.

This is what happens when the rails are not as well anchored. and pull themselves away from the soil as the ground returns to normal. [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/0XhEW.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/0XhEW.png)

<https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780857092687500050>

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: So, then to explain why the wall is on the right is not damaged, it could be that rail was under strain, the ground liquified and the track buckled.  The wall, however, is probably not under strain, so it didn't move.  Is that plausible?  
> **username_3**: that or both moved and the rail prevented the tailings from returning to their original position. its hard to tell from one photo alone  

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