The Marmara Active Fault Hazard and Risk Application and Research Center (MATAM) Has Been Opened

The opening ceremony of the Marmara Active Fault Hazard and Risk Application and Research Center (MATAM), established through the collaboration between Istanbul Technical University (ITU) and Türkiye İş Bankası, was held on August 13, 2025, at the ITU Ayazağa Campus.

The Istanbul Technical University – Türkiye İş Bankası Marmara Active Fault Hazard and Risk Application and Research Center (MATAM) opened its doors in the building constructed at ITU Ayazağa Campus. The opening ceremony of the center was followed with great interest by participants and media representatives at the Conference Hall of ITU Faculty of Computer and Informatics. As part of the ceremony, a ribbon-cutting was held at MATAM.

ITU Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal stated that MATAM brings together various fields such as earth sciences, environmental sciences, digital technologies, disaster management, geophysics, geodesy, risk modeling, and engineering around a common goal, forming an interdisciplinary ecosystem. Prof. Dr. Mandal emphasized that MATAM is a collaborative and co-development environment where expert academics in their fields learn from one another, generate knowledge, and transform it. He described MATAM as a development platform where researchers from different disciplines learn from each other, in line with ITU’s strategy of learning together. Our Rector highlighted that the center stands out as an innovative model in disaster preparedness. He noted that young researchers at undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels will not only meet today’s needs but also form a responsible and solution-oriented human resource for effective disaster management in the future.

Türkiye İş Bankası Deputy Chief Executive Suat Sözen stated that they took part in this project with the belief that the center, which will play a role in producing scientific data and enlightening society, can help prevent potential loss of life and property in possible earthquakes in the Marmara region through the use of technology and data. Sözen emphasized that with the opening of MATAM, which was introduced to the public through a protocol signed in January 2024, earthquake-related studies will gain momentum and that data can be produced more rapidly thanks to the center’s interdisciplinary structure. He expressed his belief that MATAM will serve as a good example for undertaking other earthquake-related initiatives in our country and for realizing collaborations, and that it will be encouraging for other institutions as well.

Prof. Dr. Cenk Yaltırak, Director of MATAM, emphasized that it is not possible to produce solutions to serious issues such as earthquakes through individual efforts, and that rigorous scientific research must be conducted under institutional structures. Stating that one of the most important features of MATAM, which will become even more advanced in terms of technology over time, is its ability to visualize data and information, Prof. Dr. Yaltırak noted that they collect spatial fault data at MATAM and present all traces of an earthquake, from the past to the present, in a point-based, three-dimensional format.

MATAM, which will monitor both land and sea fault lines on a scientific basis and evaluate risks in a dynamic and interactive manner, stands out with its infrastructure capable of collecting data at a micro scale and continuously assessing hazards and risks in a numerical and up-to-date way. Referred to as “Türkiye’s Apollo Project” for representing a pioneering, challenging, and transformative step, MATAM aims not only to produce data but also to transform this data into continuously updated risk scenarios, 24/7, by integrating it with emerging technologies.

At MATAM:

Hazard layers are developed beyond traditional static maps, with continuous updates. Active faults are remapped, and “speaking/dynamic maps” are produced through big data and machine learning. Fault mapping and AI-supported dynamic hazard analysis are conducted together.

Numerical modeling of expected ground motion in the soil-building relationship is performed. Attenuation relationships are derived from data, and building behavior is measured. Micro-scale ground motion and behavior analysis at the building level is carried out.

With the “accelerometer for every home” approach, regional sensor deployments are implemented. This enables monitoring and learning from real data on building behavior during each earthquake. Collaborations are established with institutions in this regard. Continuous monitoring is ensured through a sensor network and accelerometers.

In the Marmara region, seafloor geophysics (multibeam bathymetry, seismic, side-scan, piston cores) and UAV-based LiDAR/geodesy data are integrated under one roof. This allows fault geometry and shallow crustal processes to be read in a unified manner. An integrated land-sea measurement infrastructure becomes possible.

Interactive platforms are provided to municipalities and institutions, offering “instant/effective” risk indicators, scenarios, building-scale impacts, and indicators that inform intervention and evacuation decisions. Real-time data supports decision-making processes.

Efforts are underway to establish a high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure for big data processing and an internationally accredited “composite laboratory” in the earth sciences. This brings together geology–geophysics–engineering tests within the same ecosystem. The HPC and composite laboratory model is being implemented.

Under the umbrella of ITU, with İş Bankası as the main sponsor, the goal is to establish a long-term and independent production line that spans from data to models and services. This model ensures both rapid and sustainable financing. Joint production among academia, public institutions, and the private sector is aimed.

Technical outputs are not limited to academic publications; simplified, visually and numerically rich “publicly accessible” content is produced for dissemination to the public, media, and practitioners. Publicly understandable science communication is becoming possible.

A “continuous and integrated monitoring system specific to Marmara” is targeted. Unlike the classical project-based approach, a permanent center model enables real-time updates of models and maps with new data. Marmara-focused expertise is continuously refreshed.

In the initial phase of the center, alongside Prof. Dr. Cenk Yaltırak, the team includes Prof. Dr. Serdar Akyüz, Prof. Dr. Gürsel Sunal, Prof. Dr. Kadir Eriş, Prof. Dr. Nebiye Musaoğlu, Prof. Dr. Himmet Karaman, Prof. Dr. Şule Öğüdücü, Prof. Dr. Seda Kundak, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Beyza Taşkın, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Orkan Özcan, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cengiz Zabcı, Dr. Ufuk Tarı, Dr. Gülsen Uçarkuş, Dr. İrem Elitez, and Dr. Bülent Yağcı.

The newly inaugurated building houses a high-performance computing center and server room, as well as laboratories and workspaces such as a stable isotope unit, luminescence geochronology for determining historical earthquake dates, and a mineral separation unit.