Hurricane-prone states The day in pictures Get the USA TODAY app Start the day smarter ☀️ U.S. Elections Sports Entertainment Life Money Tech Travel Opinion ONLY AT USA TODAY: Newsletters For Subscribers From the Archives Crossword eNewspaper Magazines Investigations Podcasts Video Humankind Just Curious Best-selling Booklist 24/7 Live Stream Legals OUR PORTFOLIO: 10Best USAT Wine Club Reviewed Homefront Blueprint Southern Kitchen Best Auto Insurance Best Pet Insurance Best Travel Insurance Best Credit Cards Best CD Rates Best Personal Loans Home Internet FACT CHECK fact-checking Add Topic # Fact check: Video that appears to show cracks in the Earth from China, not Turkey or Syria ![\\"Portrait](\\"/gcdn/presto/2022/03/14/PDTF/8839137f-d562-4f91-a489-15ff03e4065a-Petersen_Kate.jpg?crop=404,404,x0,y31&width=48&height=48&format=pjpg&auto=webp\\") Kate S. Petersen USA TODAY ![\\"\\"](\\"/gcdn/presto/2023/02/22/USAT/7a206811-2cb2-460d-ae83-f78eff9d7a13-AP_Turkey_Syria_Earthquake-1.jpg?crop=4987,2806,x0,y253&width=660&height=371&format=pjpg&auto=webp\\"/) PlayPause Sound OnSound Off 0:00 0:50 AD SKIP ClosedCaptionOpen ShareEnter Full ScreenExit Full Screen ## The claim: Video shows cracks in the ground that formed after earthquakes in Turkey and Syria A Facebook video shows aerial footage of what appears to be large fissures or cracks in the Earth. \"The day the Earth moved- This\'s the fracture of earth\'s crust after earthquake,\" reads the video\'s caption in the Feb. 20 post (direct link, archive link). \"Two cracks in the Earth\'s crust opened in the devastating earthquake that struck Turkey on Monday, Feb. 6.\" The video was viewed more than 3,000 times in three days. Follow us on Facebook! Like our page to get updates throughout the day on our latest debunks ## Our rating: False This footage shows a countryside in China, not Turkey. Similar footage of the formations was uploaded to YouTube and Instagram more than a year prior to the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. ## Video uploaded to YouTube prior to earthquakes in Turkey and Syria Powerful earthquakes recently struck Turkey and Syria killing tens of thousands of people. However, the Facebook video is not related to this disaster. Footage showing the formations in the video was posted to Instagram in 2021, more than a year before the recent earthquakes occurred. Two videos showing similar footage were also uploaded to YouTube in November 2022. The titles of the videos, which are written in Chinese, say that the footage was taken in Pinglu County, in China. Associated Press also reported that the footage was captured in China. Fact check: Video shows 2018 tsunami in Indonesia, not from recent earthquakes in Turkey The recent earthquakes did cause ground fissures, according to Reuters, but images of the damage reviewed by USA TODAY did not look anything like the formations in the Facebook video. USA TODAY reached out to the Facebook users who shared the post for comment. The video was also debunked by the Associated Press. ## Our fact-check sources: * Fish travel (YouTube), Nov. 19, 2022, It\'s incredible! (Google translation) * Movie and TV (Youtube), Nov. 3, 2022, \"The Great Ravine in Pinglu County\" A chasm about 10 kilometers long is drawn on the entire plain. What kind of force divides it into two parts? (Google translation) * USA TODAY, Feb. 21, Stunned residents face new trauma after another earthquake hits Turkey, Syria: Updates * Djpashur, Dec. 5, 2021, Instagram * Reuters, Feb. 10, Turkey earthquake drone footage shows fissures slicing through land * AP, Feb. 21, Video shows river erosion in China, not Turkey earthquake aftermath * India Today, Feb. 22, Fact Check: This video doesn\'t show deep cracks caused by recent tremors in Turkey and Syria Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook. Featured Weekly Ad About Us Newsroom Staff Ethical Principles Responsible Disclosure Request a Correction Press Releases Accessibility Sitemap Subscription Terms & Conditions Terms of Service Privacy Policy Your Privacy Choices Contact Us Help Center Manage Account Give Feedback Get Home Delivery eNewspaper USA TODAY Shop USA TODAY Print Editions Licensing & Reprints Advertise With Us Advertising Acceptance Policy Careers Internships Support Local Business News Tips Submitting letters to the editor Podcasts Newsletters Mobile Apps Facebook X Instagram LinkedIn Threads YouTube Reddit Flipboard 10Best USAT Wine Club Reviewed Best-selling Booklist Southern Kitchen Jobs Sports Betting Sports Weekly Studio Gannett Classifieds Homefront Home Internet Blueprint Auto Insurance Pet Insurance Travel Insurance Credit Cards Banking Personal Loans LLC Formation Payroll Software © 2024 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC.
Video shows cracks that formed after earthquakes in Turkey and Syria