Civil engineer Jonathan Stewart on the earthquake in Turkey and Syria

Science + Technology UCLA Engineering The devastating earthquake in Turkey on Feb. 6 has claimed the lives of more than 36,000 people and flattened thousands of buildings across southern Turkey and northern Syria. Since the catastrophic event, Jonathan Stewart, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, has helped coordinate the U.S. response, including mobilizing a reconnaissance team that is now deployed to the region. He also has been interviewed numerous times by journalists from around the world about the earthquake and its aftermath. Following are Stewart's responses to some of the questions he has fielded. (The answers have been edited slightly for brevity and clarity. Journalists and the public are welcome to share the information with attribution to Jonathan Stewart and the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering.