Determination of strain accumulation along Tuzla Fault

Abstract

Aegean Region is one of the most deforming parts of Alpine-Himalayan belt which is bounded by the Hellenic trench, mainland Greece and western Turkey. Anatolian plate is placed between the Eurasian and African plates. The Anatolian plate moves counterclockwise and it is observed that the velocity of this movement grows through west. Aegean Region is an important place for geoscientists as it is a seismically active region which includes normal and lateral faults. In addition, the third biggest city in Turkey, İzmir is also settled in the region with nearly 4 million population. This study is carried out on the Tuzla Fault which is a right lateral strike slip fault, begins from Gaziemir district and dives under the sea from the Doganbey Cape. Historical evidence shows that catastrophic earthquakes occurred on the Tuzla Fault. The Tuzla Fault has created moderate earthquakes in the past two decades and still has the potential to create large earthquakes. The main objective of this study is to determine strain accumulation along the fault by using the results of the GPS campaigns carried out in the study area. Analysis of GPS data show that velocities reach up to 28.54 mm/yr ∓1.90 mm/yr. and are consistent with the present-day tectonic deformation of the region. Principal components of crustal strain along the Tuzla Fault reach up to 140 nanostrain/yr. The strain rates are in accord with seismicity and the directions of the calculated strain rates reflect the expected behavior of NE - SW extension of the Aegean Region.