Skip to main content
Earth, Planets and Space
Download PDF

Kinematics of the East Anatolian Fault Zone between Turkoglu (Kahramanmaras) and Celikhan (Adiyaman), eastern Turkey

Earth, Planets and Space volume 58, pages 1463–1473 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

In this study we determined the stress regime acting along the East Anatolian Fault Zone between Turkoglu (Kahramanmaras) and Celikhan (Adiyaman), from the Neocene to present-day, based on the inversion of striations measured on faults and on the focal mechanisms of earthquakes having magnitudes greater than 5.0. The inversions yield a strike-slip stress regime with a reverse component (i.e., transpression) operative in the Neocene to present with a consistent N-to NW-trending σ1 axis 156 ± 11° and an E- to NE-trending σ3 axis, 67 ± 9°σ3, producing left-lateral motion along the East Anatolian Fault Zone. The inversions of focal mechanisms yield a strike-slip stress deviator characterized by an approximately N-S (N89°W)-trending σ1 and an approximately E-W (N89°E)-trending σ3 axis. Both the kinematic analysis and structural observations indicate that the stress regime operating in the study area has had a transpressional character, giving rise to the Mio-Pliocene compressive structures (reverse faults, thrusts and folds) observed in the study area. Field observations allow estimation of a Pliocene age for the strike-slip East Anatolian Fault Zone.

References

  • Allen, C. R., Active faulting in northern Turkey, Division of Geological Science, Calif. Inst. Technol. Contrib., 1577, 32, 1969.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ambraseys, N. N., Some characteristic features of the Anatolian fault zone, Tectonophysics, 9, 143–165, 1970.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ambraseys, N. N., Temporary seismic quiescence: SE Turkey, Geophys. J., 96, 311–331, 1989.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ambraseys, N. N. and C. P. Melville, Historical evidence of faulting in eastern Anatolia and northern Syria, Ann. Geophys., 38, 337–344, 1995.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ambraseys, N. N. and J. A. Jackson, Faulting associated with historical and recent earthquakes in the eastern Mediterranean region, Geophys. J. Int., 133, 390–406, 1998.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ambraseys, N. N. and M. Barazangi, The 1759 earthquake in the Bekaa Valley: implications for earthquake hazard assessment in the eastern Mediterranean region, J. Geophys. Res., 94, 4007–4013, 1989.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Angelier, J., Tectonic analysis of fault slip data sets, J. Geophys. Res., 89, 5835–5848, 1984.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Angelier, J., Inversion of earthquake focal mechanisms to obtain the seismotectonic stress IV—a new method free of choice among nodal planes, Geophy. J. Int., 150(3), 588–609, 2002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Angelier, J., J. F. Dumont, H. Karamanderesi, A. Poisson, S. Simsek, and S. Uysal, Analysis of mechanisms and expansion of south-western Anatolia since the Late Miocene, Tectonophysics, 75, T1–T9, 1981.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arpat, E. and F. Saroglu, The East Anatolian fault system: thoughts on its development, M.T.A. Bull., 78, 33–39, 1972.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arpat, E. and F. Saroglu, Turkiye’deki bazi onemli genc tektonik olaylar, Bull. Geol. Soc. Turkey, 18/1, 91–101, 1975.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barka, A. A. and K. Kadinsky-Cade, Strike-slip fault geometry in Turkey and its fluence on earthquake activity, Tectonics, 7/3, 663–684, 1988.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bellier, O. and M. Zoback, Recent state of stress change in the Walker Lane zone western basin and Range Province-USA, Tectonics, 14, 564–593, 1995.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bellier, O., S. Over, A. Poisson, and J. Andrieux, Recent temporal change in the stress state and modern stress field along North Anatolian Fault Zone (Turkey), Geophys. J. Int., 131, 61–86, 1997.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bilgic, T., 1/ 500 000 Scale geological map of Turkey, Sivas sheet, MTA, Ankara, 2002.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bott, M. H. P., The mechanism of oblique slip faulting, Geol. Mag., 96, 109–117, 1959.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buyukasikoglu, S., Sismolojik verilere gore dogu akdenizin kuzeyinde ve guneydogu Anadolu’da Avrasya-Afrika levha sinirlarinin ozellikleri, Bull. Earthquake Res. Inst. (Ministry of Reconstruction and Resettlement), 29, 58–74, 1980 (in Turkish).

    Google Scholar 

  • Carey, E., Recherche des directions principales de contraintes associées au jeu d’une population de failles, Rev. Geol. Dynam. Geog. Phys., 21, 57–66, 1979.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carey-Gailhardis, E. and J. L. Mercier, A numerical method for determining the state of stress using focal mechanisms of earthquake populations, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 82, 165–179, 1987.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cetin, H., H. Guneyli, and L. Mayer, Paleoseismology of the Palu-Lake Hazar segment of the East Anatolian Fault Zone, Turkey, Tectonophysics, 374, 163–197, 2003.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chorowicz, J., P. Luxey, N. Lybéris, J. Carvalho, J. F. Parrot, T. Yurur, and N. Gundogdu, The Maras Triple Junction (southern Turkey) based on digital elevation model and satellite imagery interpretation, J. Geophys. Res., 99, 20225–20242, 1994.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chorowicz, J., D. Dhont, and N. Gundogdu, Neotectonics in the eastern North Anatolian Fault region (Turkey) advocates crustal extension: mapping from SAR ERS imagery and Digital Elevation Model, J. Struct. Geol., 21, 511–532, 1999.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dewey, J. F. and A. M. C. Sengor, Aegean and surrounding regions: complex multi-plate and continuum tectonics in a convergent zone, Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., 90, 84–92, 1979.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dewey, J. F., M. R. Hempton, W. S. F. Kidd, F. Saroglu, and A. M. C. Sengor, Shortening of continental lithosphere: the neotectonics of Eastern Anatolia—a young collision zone, in Collision Tectonics, edited by M. P. Coward and A. C. Ries, Geol. Soc. London Sp. Pub., 19, 3–36, 1986.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ergin, K., U. Guclu, and Z. Uz, A catalogue of earthquakes for Turkey and surrounding area (11AD to 1964AD), Tech. Univ. Mining Eng. Fac. Publ., 24, 189, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gephart, J. W. and D. W. Forsyth, An improved method for determining the regional stress tensor using earthquake focal mechanism data: an application to the San Fernando earthquake sequence, J. Geophys. Res., 89, 9305–9320, 1984.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hempton, M. R., Constraints on Arabian plate motion and extensional history of the Red Sea, Tectonics, 6, 687–705, 1987.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hempton, M. R., J. F. Dewey, and F. Saroglu, The East Anatolian transform fault: along strike variations in geometry and behavior, EOS Trans., 62, 393, 1981.

    Google Scholar 

  • Imamoglu, M. S., Golbasi (Adiyaman)-Pazarcik-Narli (K. Maras) arasindaki sahada Dogu Anadolu Fayi’nin neotektonik incelemesi. Doktora Tezi, A.U. Fen Bilimleri Enstitusu Jeoloji Muh. Anabilim Dali, Ankara, 137 pp., 1993.

  • Jackson, J. and D. P. McKenzie, Active tectonics of the Alpine-Himalayan belt between western Turkey and Pakistan, Geophys. J. R. Astron. Soc., 77, 185–264, 1984.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, J. and D. P. McKenzie, The relationship between plate motion and seismic moment tensors, and the rates of active deformation in the Mediterranean and Middle-East, Geophys. J. R. Astron. Soc., 93, 45–73, 1988.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karig, D. E. and H. Kozlu, Late Paleogene-Neogene evolution of the triple junction region near Maras, south-central Turkey, J. Geol. Soc. London, 147, 1023–1034, 1990.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kempler, D. and Z. Garfunkel, Structures and kinematics in the northeastern Mediterranean: a study of an irregular plate boundary, Tectonophysics, 234, 19–32, 1994.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keskin, M., Magma generation by slab steepening and breakoff beneath a subduction-accretion complex: an alternative model for collision-related volcanism in Eastern Anatolia, Turkey, Geophys. Res. Lett., 30/24, 8046, 2003.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lyberis, N., T. Yurur, J. Chorowicz, E. Kasapoglu, and N. Gundogdu, The East Anatolian Fault: an oblique collisional belt, Tectonophysics, 204, 1–15, 1992.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McClusky, S., S. Balassanian, A. Barka, C. Demir, S. Ergintav, İ. Georgiev, O. Gurkan, M. Hamburger, K. Hurst, H. Kahle, K. Kastens, G. Kekelidze, R. King, V. Kotzev, O. Lenk, S. Mahmoud, A. Mishin, M. Nadariya, A. Ouzounis, D. Paradissis, Y. Peter, M. Prilepin, R. Reilinger, I. Sanli, H. Seeger, A. Tealeb, M. N. Toksoz, and G. Veis, Global Positioning System constraints on plate kinematics and dynamics in the eastern Mediterranean and Caucasus, J. Geophys. Res., 105(B3), 5695–5719, 2000.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McKenzie, D. P., Active tectonics of the Mediterranean Region, Geophys. J. R. Astron. Soc., 30, 109–185, 1972.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mercier, J. L., D. Sorel, and P. Vergely, Extensional tectonic regimes in the Aegean basins during the Cenozoic, Basin Res., 2, 49–71, 1989.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mercier, J. L., E. Carey-Gailhardis, and M. Sébrier, Paleostress determinations from fault kinematics: application to the neotectonics of the Himalayas-Tibet and the Central Andes, Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. A, 337, 41–52, 1991.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nalbant, S. S., J. McCloskey, S. Steacy, and A. A. Barka, Stress acumulation and increased seismic risk in eastern Turkey, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 195, 291–298, 2002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Orgulu, G., M. Aktar, N. Turkelli, E. Sandvol, and M. Barazangi, Contribution to the seismotectonics of the Eastern Anatolian Plateau from moderate and small size events, Geophys. Res. Lett., 30/24, 8040, 2003.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Over, S., O. Bellier, A. Poisson, and J. Andrieux, Late Cenozoic stress state changes along the central North Anatolian Fault zone (Turkey), Ann. Tectonicae, XI, 1–2, 75–101, 1997.

    Google Scholar 

  • Over, S., U. C. Unlugenc, and O. Bellier, Quaternary stress regime change in the Hatay region (SE Turkey), Geophys. J. Int., 148, 1–14, 2002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Over, S., S. Ozden, and H. Yilmaz, Late Cenozoic stress evolution along the Karasu Valley, SE Turkey, Tectonophysics, 380, 43–68, 2004a.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Over, S., S. Ozden, U. C. Unlugenc, and H. Yilmaz, A synthesis Late Cenozoic stress field distribution at northeastern corner of the eastern Mediterranean, SE Turkey, C.R. Geoscience, 336, 93–103, 2004b.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Over, S., K. S. Kavak, O. Bellier, and S. Ozden, Is the Amik Basin (SE-Turkey) a Triple Junction Area? Analyses of SPOT XS Imagery and Seismicity, Int. J. Remote Sensing, 25/19, 3857–3872, 2004c.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ozden, S., S. Over, and U. C. Unlugenc, Quaternary stress regime change along the eastern North Anatolian Fault Zone, Turkey, Int. Geol. Review, 44/11, 1037–1052, 2002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perincek, D. and I. Cemen, The structural relationship between the East Anatolian Fault and Dead Sea Fault zones in southern Turkey, Tectonophysics, 172, 331–340, 1990.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Poirier, J. P. and M. A. Taher, Historical seismicity in the Near and Middle East, North Africa and Spain from Arabic documents, Bull. Seism. Soc. Am., 70, 2185–2201, 1980.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reilinger, R. E., S. C. McClusky, M. B. Oral, R. W. King, M. N. Toksoz, A. A. Barka, I. Kinik, O. Lenk, and I. Sanli, Global Positioning System measurements of present-day crustal movements in the Arabia-Africa-Eurasia plate collision zone, J. Geophys. Res.-Solid Earth, 102(B5), 9983–9999, 1997.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robertson, A. H. F., S. Eaton, E. J. Follows, and J. E. McCullum, The role of local tectonics versus global sea-level change in the Neogene evolution of the Cyprus active margin, Spec. Publ. Int. Ass. Sediment, 12, 331–369, 1991.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sandvol, E., N. Turkelli, and M. Barazangi, The Eastern Turkey Seismic Experiment: The study of a young continent-continent collision, Geophys. Res. Lett., 30/24, 8038, 2003.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saroglu, F., O. Emre, and A. Boray, Turkiye’nin diri faylari ve depremsellikleri, Min. Res. Expl. Inst. Turkey Rept. No. 8174, 1987.

    Google Scholar 

  • Saroglu, F., O. Emre, and I. Kuscu, The East Anatolian fault zone of Turkey, Ann. Tectonicae, VI, 99–125, 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sebrier, M., J. L. Mercier, J. Macharé, D. Bonnot, J. Cabrera, and J. L. Blanc, The state of stress in an overridding plate situated above a flat slab: the Andes of central Peru, Tectonics, 7, 895–928, 1988.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sengor, A. M. C., Northern Anatolian fault: Its age offset and tectonic significance, J. Geol. Soc. London, 136, 269–282, 1979.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sengor, A. M. C. and Y. Yilmaz, Tethyan evolution of Turkey. A plate tectonic approach, Tectonophysics, 75, 181–241, 1981.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sengor, A. M. C., N. Gorur, and F. Saroglu, Strike-slip faulting and related basin formation in zones of tectonic escape: Turkey as a case study, in Strike-slip Deformation, Basin Formation and Sedimentation, edited by K. T. Biddle and N. Christie-Blick, Soc. Econ. Paleont. Mineral. Tulsa, Sp. Publ. 37, 227–264, 1985.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seymen, I. and A. Aydin, Bingol deprem fayi ve bunun Kuzey Anadolu Fayi ile iliskisi, M.T.A. Bull., 79, 33–39, 1972.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sieberg, A., Erdbebengeographic, in Handbuch der Geophysic, edited by B. Gutenberg, Bands IV, Borntrager, Berlin, pp. 527–1005, 1932.

    Google Scholar 

  • Soysal, H., S. Sipahioglu, D. Kolcak, and Y. Altinok, Turkiye Tarihsel Deprem Katalogu, TUBITAK Proje No. TBAG-341, 1981.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taymaz, T., H. Eyidogan, and J. Jackson, Source parameters of large earthquakes in the East Anatolian Fault Zone (Turkey), Geophys. J. Int., 106/3, 537–550, 1991.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Turkelli, N., E. Sandvol, E. Zor, R. Gok, T. Bekler, A. Al-Lazki, H. Karabulut, S. Kuleli, T. Eken, C. Gurbuz, S. Bayraktutan, D. Seber, and M. Barazangi, Seismogenic zones in eastern Turkey, Geophys. Res. Lett., 30/24, 8039, 2003.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ulu, U., 1/500,000 Scale geological map of Turkey, Hatay sheet, MTA, Ankara, 2002.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vasseur, G., A. Etchecopar, and H. Philip, Stress state inferred from multiple focal mechanisms, Ann. Geophys., 1, 291–298, 1983.

    Google Scholar 

  • Westaway, R., Kinematics of the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean updated, Turkish J. Earth Sci., 12, 5–46, 2003.

    Google Scholar 

  • Westaway, R. and J. Arger, Kinematics of the Malatya-Ovacik fault zone. Third International Turkish Geology Symposium, METU-Ankara, Abstracts, 197, 1998.

    Google Scholar 

  • Willis, B., Earthquakes in the Holy Land, Bull. Seism. Soc. America, 18, 73–103, 1928.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yalcin, N., Dogu Anadolu Yarilimi’nin Turkoglu Karaagac (K. Maras) arasindaki kesiminin ozellikleri ve bolgedeki yerlesme alanlari, Turk. Jeoloji Kurumu Altinli Sempozyumu, 19–56, 1979.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yazgan, E. and R. Chessex, Geology and tectonic evolution of the southeastern Taurides in the region of Malatya, TAPG Bull., 3/1, 1–42, 1991.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yilmaz, Y., Allochthonous terranes in the Tethyan Middle East: Anatolia and the surroundings regions, R. Soc. Lond. Philos. Transact, A331, 611–624, 1990.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yilmaz, Y., New evidence and model on the evolution of the southeast Anatolian orogeny, Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., 105, 251–271, 1993.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yilmaz, Y., O. Gurpinar, H. Kozlu, M. A. Gul, E. Yigitbas, M. Yildirim, C. Genc, and M. Keskin, Maras kuzeyinin jeolojisi (Andirin-Berit-Engizek-Nurhak-Binboga Daglari), Turk, Petrolleri Anonim Ortakligi Rapor No. 2028/2, 218 pp., 1987.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yurur, T. and J. Chorowicz, Recent volcanism, tectonics and plate kinematics near the junction of African, Arabian and Anatolian plates in the eastern Mediterranean, J. Volcanol. Geothermal Res., 85, 1–15, 1998.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zanchi, A. and J. Angelier, Seismotectonics of western Anatolia: regional stress orientation from geophysical and geological data, Tectonophysics, 222, 259–274, 1993.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zor, E., E. Sandvol, C. Gurbuz, N. Turkelli, D. Seber, and M. Barazangi, The crustal structure of the East Anatolian plateau (Turkey) from receiver functions, Geophys. Res. Lett., 30/24, 8044, 7.1-4, 2003.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geophysics, Cumhuriyet University, 58140, Sivas, Turkey

    Huseyin Yilmaz

  2. Department of Geophysics, Mustafa Kemal University, Hatay, Turkey

    Semir Over

  3. Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Terzioglu Campus, Department of Geology, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University, 17020, Canakkale, Turkey

    Suha Ozden

Authors
  1. Huseyin Yilmaz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Semir Over
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Suha Ozden
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Huseyin Yilmaz.

Rights and permissions

Open Access  This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made.

The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder.

To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Yilmaz, H., Over, S. & Ozden, S. Kinematics of the East Anatolian Fault Zone between Turkoglu (Kahramanmaras) and Celikhan (Adiyaman), eastern Turkey. Earth Planet Sp 58, 1463–1473 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03352645

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03352645

Key words

  • Anatolia
  • East Anatolian Fault
  • stress state
  • earthquake
  • fault-slip inversion