Seismotectonics of Malatya Fault, Eastern Turkey

Abstract

Turkey is located in a seismically active region with a complex tectonic history. In order to perform seismic risk assessment precisely, major fault zones (North Anatolian Fault Zone and East Anatolian Fault Zone) that are well defined are monitored continuously. It is a widely known fact that intraplate settings, such as Anatolian Plate, in which devastating earthquakes may occur, need to be observed densely. In this study, we investigate the seismotectonics of Malatya Fault within the Malatya Ovacik Fault Zone (MOFZ), which is one of the major agents responsible for internal deformation acting on Anatolian Plate. Recent geological and paleoseismological studies underline the necessity of comprehending the seismicity and latency of a major earthquake in this fault zone. We applied traditional techniques to investigate data of such a region. Earthquakes that occured in the vicinity of Malatya Fault between the years 2011 and mid-2019 are employed in a detailed analysis. The results of this study are constrained by the distribution of sensor networks in the region, yet allowing to define an active structure which is not included in the active fault map of Turkey, therefore, making a significant contribution to seismic hazard estimation.