Neotectonics and seismicity of Erzurum pull-apart basin,East Turkey

The study area is the Erzurum pull-apart basin located in the East Anatolian Tectonic Block (EATB), which is under the control of a strike-slip neotectonic regime since the beginning of Quaternary. The Quaternary Erzurum pull-apart basin is an about 1-30 km wide, 90 km long and actively growing strike-slip depression. It is bounded by the Erzurum-Dumlu sinistral strike-slip fault zone to the east-southeast, by the Askale sinistral strike-slip fault zone to the north-northwest, and by the Baskoy-Kandilli reverse fault zone and the N-S-trending Ilica oblique-slip normal fault set to the west. The Erzurum pull-apart basin was evolved by the deformation and subdivision of an E-W-trending older intermontane basin. The new basin has a 0.5 km thick, flat-lying (undeformed) and uconsolidated fill, which overlies, with an angular unconformitry, the deformed (folded and faulted) basement rocks of pre-Quaternary age. Basin fill consists of coarser-grained marginal facies (fault terrace, fan, fan-apron and superimposed fan deposits) and finer-grained depocentral facies represented by flood plain to organic material-rich marsh deposits. All gradations are seen among these lithofacies.The seismicity of the Erzurum pull-apart basin is quite high. The magnitude of the peak earthquake to be sourced from the active faults (e.g., the Erzurum fault) is about Mw = 7.0. This was proved by both the historical and recent earthquakes. Numerous settlements in the size of a large city (e.g., Erzurum), county, town and small villages with a total population of over 766,000 are located in and along the active fault-bounded margins of the Erzurum pull-apart basin. They are under the threat of destructive earthquakes to be sourced from the margin-boundary faults. Therefore, based on both the active fault parameters and the water-saturated basin fill, a large-scale earthquake hazard map has to be prepared. This map has to be used in both the earthquake hazard to risk analyses and the redesign of city planning and all type of constructions in Erzurum and other settlements in this region.     

Active faulting and natural hazards in Armenia, eastern Turkey and northwestern Iran

Active fault zones of Armenia, SE Turkey and NW Iran present a diverse set of interrelated natural hazards. Three regional case studies in this cross-border zone are examined to show how earthquakes interact with other hazards to increase the risk of natural disaster. In northern Armenia, a combination of several natural and man-made phenomena (earthquakes, landslides and unstable dams with toxic wastes) along the Pambak-Sevan-Sunik fault (PSSF) zone lowers from 0.4 to 0.2–0.3g the maximum permissible level (MPL) of seismic hazard that may induce disastrous destruction and loss of life in the adjacent Vanadzor depression.

In the Ararat depression, a large active fault-bounded pull-apart basin at the junction of borders of Armenia, Turkey, Iran and Azerbaijan, an earthquake in 1840 was accompanied by an eruption of Ararat Volcano, lahars, landslides, floods, soil subsidence and liquefaction. The case study demonstrates that natural hazards that are secondary with respect to earthquakes may considerably increase the damage and the casualties and increase the risk associated with the seismic impact.

The North Tabriz–Gailatu fault system poses a high seismic hazard to the border areas of NW Iran, eastern Turkey, Nakhichevan (Azerbaijan) and southern Armenia. Right-lateral strike–slip motions along the North Tabriz fault have given rise to strong earthquakes, which threaten the city of Tabriz with its population of 1.2 million.

The examples illustrate how the concentration of natural hazards in active fault zones increases the risk associated with strong earthquakes in Armenia, eastern Turkey and NW Iran. This generally occurs across the junctions of international borders. Hence, the transboundary character of active faults requires transboundary cooperation in the study and mitigation of the natural risk.     

渭河断裂西段活动差异性分析

渭河断裂是一条纵贯渭河盆地中部的大断裂，对渭河盆地的形成和发展乃至盆地内的地震活动都具有控制作用。本文将宝鸡峡口以东，西安市草滩镇以西的渭河断裂西段作为研究区。从渭河断裂北侧黄土台源地貌存在的分级现象、自西向东渭河断裂新近系错距大小非均匀变化、渭河断裂西段断坎地貌差异等方面的分析，讨论了渭河断裂西段存在的活动差异性，认为以千河断裂、岐山-马召断裂和泾河推测断裂为分界点，渭河断裂西段可分为三个亚段，各个亚段在断裂活动时间、活动强度等方面均有明显的差异。通过对渭河断裂西段所处新构造环境的分析，认为第四纪以来渭河盆地西部地壳的向东掀斜拾升运动是造成渭河断裂西段出现差异性活动的根本原因。     

Landslide susceptibility assessment in the İzmir (West Anatolia,Turkey) city center and its near vicinity by the logistic regression method

A landslide susceptibility assessment for İzmir city (Western Turkey), which is the third biggest city of Turkey, was performed by a logistic regression method. A database of landslide characteristics was prepared using detailed field surveys. The major landslides in the study area are generally observed in the field, dominated by weathered volcanics, and 39.63% of the total landslide area is in this unit. The parameters of lithology, slope gradient, slope aspect, distance to drainage, distance to roads and distance to fault lines were used as variables in the logistic regression analysis. The effect of each parameter on landslide occurrence was assessed from the corresponding coefficients that appear in the logistic regression function. On the basis of the obtained coefficients, lithology plays the most important role in determining landslide occurrence and distribution. Slope gradient has a more significant effect than the other geomorphological parameters, such as slope aspect and distance to drainage. Using a predicted map of probability, the study area was classified into five categories of landslide susceptibility: very low, low, moderate, high and very high. Whereas 49.65% of the total study area has very low susceptibility, very high susceptibility zones make up 11.69% of the area.     

综合物探方法在广西柳州隐伏断裂探测中的应用

据野外地震地质调查研究,柳州市柳北区存在多条隐伏断裂带,这些断裂带的具体位置尚未确定,这对柳北区的建设发展存在极大隐患。为此,在地质调查的基础上,本文采用高密度电法和地震映像综合方法来探测柳北区隐伏断裂带的具体位置,通过钻探验证和地质调查研究,确定了隐伏断裂带的具体位置,为柳州市柳北区的建设发展提供安全保障。     

Geotechnical mapping for alluvial fan deposits controlled by active faults: a case study in the Erzurum,NE Turkey

Erzurum, the biggest city of Eastern Anatolia Region in the Turkey, is located in Karasu Plain. Karasu Plain, located on the central segment of the Erzurum Fault Zone, is an intermountain sedimentary basin with a Miocene-Quaternary volcanic basement, andesitic-basaltic lava flows and fissure eruptions of basaltic lava. It was filled in the early Quaternary by lacustrine fan-delta deposits. The basin is characterized by NNE-SSW trending sinistral wrench faults on its eastern margin and ENE-WSW trending reverse faults on its southern margin. Both systems of active faults intersect very near to Erzurum, which is considered to be the most likely site for the epicenter of a probable future large earthquake. Historical records of destructive earthquakes, morphotectonic features formed by paleo-seismic events and instrument seismic data of region indicate to a very high regional seismicity. The residential areas of Erzurum are located on thick alluvial fan deposits forming under the control of faults on the central segment of the Erzurum Fault Zone, which is one of the most active fault belts of the East Anatolian Region. Over time, the housing estates of city such as Yenisehir and Yildizkent have been expanded toward to the west and southwest part of Erzurum as a consequence of rapid and massive construction during the last 30 years. Geotechnical investigation has therefore been undertaken the residential areas of city in order to characterize geotechnical properties over the varied lithologies examine the potential for geotechnical mapping and assess the foundation conditions of the present and future settlement areas. The geological field observations and operations have been performed to make the soil sampling and characterize the lateral and vertical changes in thickness of the alluvial deposits in trenches, excavations and deep holes with 6–12 m sections. The soil samples have been subjected to a series of tests under laboratory conditions to obtain physical and mechanical properties. Furthermore, the standard penetration tests have been applied to the soils under field conditions. The geological field observations, geotechnical data and distribution of bearing capacity have been considered for the geotechnical mapping. Based on the geotechnical map, there are five geotechnical zones distinguished in the study area.     

Geological and archaeological evidence for post-Roman earthquake surface faulting at Cibyra,SW Turkey

The NE–SW-trending Burdur–Fethiye fault zone is one of the major active fault zones of southwestern Turkey and the ancient city of Cibyra is located on this zone. Segments of the Burdur–Fethiye fault zone have ruptured in the historical period and during the 20th century. A detailed investigation in the ancient city of Cibyra showed the presence of faults sinistrally offset sitting rows of the stadium up to 50 cm. In addition, there are broken corners of blocks, collapsed walls, broken columns, and tilted and toppled blocks in existing major buildings in the city centre. Field observations showed that fractures and associated damage at Cibyra were produced by a post-Roman earthquake, possibly during the 417-A.D.-earthquake which had an intensity of 9 on the MSK scale.     

西宁湟水河隐伏断裂发育模式探讨

近些年来一些地震表明,强震不仅发生在地表出露的活动断裂上,还发育在一些隐伏的未出露地表的构造上.大陆内部块体间的变形带不只是一条活动断裂,而是具有很大宽度的构造变形带,这已被大量的地震活动性资料所证实.因此,要正确评估地震危险性,就要研究构造带上地层变形的模型,而不仅是单条断裂的变形.湟水河隐伏断裂为一条隐伏在西宁市的断裂,位于西宁盆地中部,长12km,走向EW,浅层地震探测结果表明该断裂由两条正断层组成地堑式构造,横跨西宁地区的地层剖面研究结果指出湟水河隐伏断裂发育在宽缓背斜的核部,而宽缓的背斜和向斜由新近系红色泥岩组成.根据褶皱与断裂的关系认为,湟水河隐伏断裂为在北东向的区域主压应力作用下,褶皱变形过程中,在背斜的核部伴生形成的次级张性地堑式正断层.该褶皱及相关断裂发育在西宁盆地滑脱面之上,属于浅表性的断层,活动性不显著.     

青藏高原东北缘酒泉盆地的演化特征与宽台山-黑山断裂的性质

宽台山-黑山断裂位于酒泉盆地的北侧，向西与阿尔金走滑断裂相交，其北部为花海-金塔盆地。对酒泉地区白垩纪沉积盆地的研究和对比发现，虽然当时盆地多为断陷盆地，均受东西向伸展构造控制，但宽台山-黑山断裂两侧的盆地具有不同的基底性质和沉积岩石学特征。酒泉盆地、昌马盆地和北祁连褶皱带内的白垩系具有相同的早古生代褶皱基底，并发育有热水喷流沉积和玄武岩夹层，北祁连北缘断裂在白垩纪时尚未开始活动；花海-金塔盆地为前长城系深变质基底，盆地内不发育热水喷流沉积。宽台山-黑山断裂是青藏高原东北缘重要的岩石圈剪切断裂，控制了其南北两侧白垩纪盆地的沉积-构造演化。     

Fault kinematic and Plio-Quaternary paleostress evolution of the Bakırçay Basin,Western Turkey

ABSTRACT

At the end of the Cenozoic, western Turkey was fragmented by intense intra-continental tectonic deformation resulting in the formation of two extensional areas: a transtensional pull-apart basin systems in the northwest, and graben systems in the central and southwest areas. The question of the connection of this Late Cenozoic extensional tectonics to plate kinematics has long been an issue of discussion. This study presents the results of the fault slip data collected in Bak?rçay Basin in the west of Turkey and addresses changes in the direction of extensional stresses over the Plio-Quaternary. Field observations and quantitative analysis show that Bak?rçay Basin is not a simple graben basin that has evolved during a single phase. It started as a graben basin with extensional regime in the Pliocene and was transformed into a pull-apart basin under the influence of transtensional forces during the Quaternary. A chronology of two successive extensional episodes has been established and provides reasoning to constrain the timing and location of subduction-related back-arc tectonics along the Aegean region and collision-related extrusion tectonics in Turkey. The first NW–SE trending extension occurred during the Pliocene extensional phase, characterized by slab rollback and progressive steepening of the northward subduction of the African plate under the Anatolian Plate. Western Turkey has been affected, during the Middle Quaternary, by regional subsidence, and the direction of extension changed to N–S, probably in relation with the propagation of the North Anatolian Fault System. Since the Late Quaternary, NE–SW extension dominates northwest Turkey and results in the formation and development of elongated transtensional basin systems. Counterclockwise rotation of Anatolian block which is bounded to the north by the right-lateral strike-slip North Anatolian Fault System, accompanies to this extensional phase.     

The identification of an active fault by a multidisciplinary study at the archaeological site of Sagalassos (SW Turkey)

The archaeological site of Sagalassos (SW Turkey) is located in a region characterized by the absence of any significant recent seismic activity, contrary to adjacent regions. However, the assessment of earthquake-related damage at the site suggests that the earthquakes that have been demonstrated to have struck this Pisidian city in ca. AD 500 and in the middle or second half of the 7th century AD are characterized by an MSK intensity of at least VIII and occurred on a fault very close to the city. Different investigation techniques (archaeoseismology, remote sensing and geomorphology, surface geology and structural data, 2D resistivity imaging and palaeoseismological trenching) have been applied at the archaeological site and its direct surroundings in search for the causative fault of these earthquakes. This multidisciplinary approach shows that each of the different approaches independently provides only partial, non-conclusive information with respect to the fault identification. Integration is imperative to give a conclusive answer in the search for the causative fault. This study has, indeed, revealed the existence of a to date unknown active normal fault system passing underneath ancient Sagalassos, i.e. the Sagalassos fault. A historical coseismic surface rupture event on this fault could be identified. This event possibly corresponds to the devastating Sagalassos earthquakes of ca. AD 500 and the middle or second half of the 7th century AD. Finally, this study demonstrates that in the particular geodynamic setting of SW Turkey archaeological sites with extensive earthquake-related damage form an important tool in any attempt to asses the seismic hazard.     

Superimposed Basins and Their Relations to the Recent Strike-Slip Fault Zone: A Case Study of the Refahiye Superimposed Basin Adjacent to the North Anatolian Transform Fault,Northeastern Turkey

Compressional or extensional troughs occupied by at least two sedimentary fills of dissimilar age, origin, facies, internal structure, and deformation pattern are herein termed superimposed basins. The lower and older fill of such basins is inherited from the latest compressional paleotectonic regime, and therefore is highly deformed (folded to thrust faulted). In contrast, the upper fill (neotectonic fill) is nearly flat, or undeformed, resting on the erosional surface of the lower fill with an angular unconformity. Superimposed basins occur mostly in or adjacent to recently active extensional terrains and recent strike-slip fault zones cutting across suture zones.

Within the framework of neotectonics, recent geologic studies such as field geologic mapping, measured stratigraphic sections, aerial photography, and remote-sensing studies conducted in Turkey have shown that a number of well-developed and preserved superimposed basins occur along and adjacent to the North Anatolian transform fault (NATF), obliquely crossing the late Tertiary Izmir-Ankara-Erzincan suture zone (IAESZ). One such superimposed basin is the Refahiye, previously and erroneously interpreted to be a strike-slip basin of Pliocene age. In contrast, this study demonstrates that it is a well-preserved superimposed basin consisting of a combination of both an early-formed, early-middle Miocene piggy-back basin (the older Refahiye basin) and a newly developing strike-slip basin (the Kova basin). The Refahiye basin, located on the southern block of the Niksar-Erzincan segment of the Northern Anatolian fault master strand (NAFMS), contains two fills: (1) lower-middle Miocene latest paleotectonic fill (lower fill), and (2) Plio-Quaternary neotectonic fill (upper fill). The lower fill consists mostly of fluvial red clastics approximately 1 km thick with intercalations of gypsum lenses and shallow-marine reefal limestone of early-middle Miocene age. It is intensely folded, thrust-faulted, and not confined the present-day configuration of the Refahiye basin. The lower fill and its deformational structures, such as folds and thrust faults, are crossed and displaced dextrally by an active strike-slip fault system, the NATE In contrast, the upper fill, which rests on the erosional surface of the lower fill with an angular unconformity, consists of Plio-Quaternary terrace conglomerates, Quaternary imbricated gravels, and fine-grained Quaternary plain sediments (mostly silt and clay); these were deposited within a newly developing strike-slip basin—the Kova pull-apart basin—superimposed on the lower fill of the Refahiye basin. The upper fill is undeformed and nearly flat-lying. All these characteristics reveal that the present configuration of the Refahiye basin is a superimposed basin, herein termed the Refahiye superimposed basin.     

Seismic hazard and total risk analyses for large dams in Euphrates basin,Turkey

Reservoirs constructed near urban areas pose a high-risk potential for downstream life and property. Turkey is one of the most seismically active regions in the world and has at least 1200 large dams with different types. Major earthquakes with the potential of threatening life and property occur frequently here. The Euphrates basin studied in this article is located in a seismically very active part of Turkey. The northern part of the basin is structurally cut by numerous faults. Many large dams are located on or close to these faults. In this paper we summarize the methods used for the analysis of seismic hazards and total risk, discuss the seismic hazards of thirty-two large dams constructed on the Euphrates basin on the basis of the seismic activity of the dam site and their total risk as based on physical properties and the position in the basin. The seismic hazard analyses have indicated that peak ground acceleration changes within a wide range (0.011 g and 0.564 g) for the dam sites of the basin. A seismic hazard map showing the equivalent PGA (peak ground acceleration) values was developed so as to use for the preliminary analysis of dam structures, which will be designed in the basin. The total risk analyses depending on the seismic hazard rating of dam site and risk rating of the structure have concluded that fifteen large dams have high-risk class in the basin. These dams must be analyzed with high priority and redesigned to increase the safety of the embankments and their appurtenant structures, if necessary.     

Evaluation of urban heat island effect in Turkey

Recently, the rate of urbanisation has accelerated due to increasing population density which causes unexpected environmental disturbances and problems. One of the major problems encountered to date is the change in the land use/cover (LULC) structure. Increasing the impervious surface cover has changed microclimatic properties of urbanised areas by altering their thermal characteristics. One of the most important problems facing urban planning today is the phenomena known as the urban heat island (UHI), which is largely due to the changing the character of LULC. In this study, to create a national picture of the UHI structure in Turkey, seven cities, namely Istanbul, Bursa, Ankara, Izmir, Gaziantep, Erzurum and Trabzon, each located in different climatic regions of Turkey, were investigated. The Gaussian fitting technique was applied to characterise the UHI effect in the seven cities in the study. An original contribution of the current study was that the rural reference temperature surface was automatically determined by a proposed algorithm including the automatic masking of input data, as well as the application of iterative Gaussian low-pass filtering during the fitting procedure. Within this context, the daytime and nighttime surface urban heat island (SUHI) effect was modelled and temporally analysed from 1984 to 2011 for all the sub-regions using remote sensing techniques. Furthermore, atmospheric UHI was also investigated using the mobile transect method. The findings from this study suggest that UHI is a major environmental problem in urbanised areas, both atmospheric UHI and SUHI were detected in all cities in the study area, and this problem was found to have rapidly increased from 1984 to 2011. Finally, as inferred from the multiple regression results, it can be concluded that the UHI problem in Turkey might have resulted from the altered LULC structure, as well as anthropogenic pressure on and interference in city planning geometries.     

Geological and archaeological evidence for post– Roman earthquake surface faulting at Cibyra,SW Turkey

Abstract

The NE-SW-trending Burdur–Fethiye fault zone is one of the major active fault zones of southwestern Turkey and the ancient city of Cibyra is located on this zone. Segments of the Burdur–Fethiye fault zone have ruptured in the historical period and during the 20th century. A detailed investigation in the ancient city of Cibyra showed the presence of faults sinistrally offset sitting rows of the stadium up to 50 cm. In addition, there are broken corners of blocks, collapsed walls, broken columns, and tilted and toppled blocks in existing major buildings in the city centre. Field observations showed that fractures and associated damage at Cibyra Produced by a post-Roman earthquake, possibly during the 417-A.D.-earthquake which had an intensity of 9 on the MSK scale. © 2001 Éditions scientifiques et médicales Elsevier SAS.     

从地球物理勘探成果探讨嘉峪关断裂与酒东盆地对地热资源的控制

酒东盆地是典型挤压造山型盆地,嘉峪关断裂是第四纪活动断裂,具有储热导热良好的地热地质条件,虽地温场偏低于东部裂谷型盆地,在以往石油勘探和水文地质普查中已发现有地下热水存在。嘉峪关市区一带通过石油普查重力、直流电测深资料重新解释,结合以往石油地震勘探和钻探成果,认为嘉峪关—酒泉凹陷具备地热资源形成的储、盖、通、源条件,属中低温盆地传导型地热资源,具有经济开发价值。     

台北盆地构造特征

台北盆地发育在弧陆碰撞的背景下,但长期以来对其构造特征一直认识不清,因此直接影响对盆地形成的认识.钻井、地震勘探等资料研究表明,山脚断层是控制盆地形成的主要正断层,而不是走滑断层,但并不是一条完整的正断层,而是由三个段落组成.各个段落控制一个沉积中心,彼此之间没有沟通.沉积中心的变化反映出山脚断层活动的各段落活动性并不一样,向北东方向随时间逐渐增强,目前最为活动的集中在中段和北段,南段已经停止活动.研究表明盆地中发育的一些北西向正断层是盆地中不同沉降中心沉降时的次生断层,而很难用走滑体系来解释.台北盆地并不是一个孤立发育的盆地,盆地是与金山断层东南的大屯火山群一同陷落的,具有一致的地球物理场背景、沉降规模以及正断层活动,因此广义的台北盆地从沉降范围和机制上还包括金山断层以南的大屯火山群.台北盆地的这些特征表明该盆地并不是走滑体系中形成的拉分盆地.     

Kinematics of the Malatya–Ovacık Fault Zone

We investigate the left-lateral slip on the 240-km-long, NE–SW-trending, Malatya–Ovacık fault zone in eastern Turkey. This fault zone splays southwestward from the North Anatolian fault zone near Erzincan, then follows the WSW-trending Ovacık valley between the Munzur and Yılan mountain ranges. It bends back to a SW orientation near Arapkir, from where we trace its main strand SSW beneath the Plio-Quaternary sediment of the Malatya basin. We propose that this fault zone was active during ∼5–3 Ma, when it took up 29 km of relative motion between the Turkish and Arabian plates; it ceased to be active when the East Anatolian fault zone formed at ∼3 Ma. The geometry of the former Erzincan triple junction, which differs from the modern Karlıova triple junction, where the North and East Anatolian fault zones intersect, suggests a possible explanation for why slip on the Malatya–Ovacık fault zone was unable to continue. We interpret the SW- and SSW-trending segments of the Malatya–Ovacık fault zone as transform faults, which define an Euler pole ∼1 400 km to the southeast. Its central part along the Ovacık valley, which is ∼30° oblique to the adjoining transform faults, is interpreted as the internal fault of a stepover. The adjoining mountain ranges, which now rise up to ∼3 300 m, ∼2 000 m above the surrounding land surface, are largely the result of the surface uplift which accompanied the components of shortening and thickening of the upper crustal brittle layer that occurred around this stepover while the left-lateral faulting was active.     

甘肃昌马盆地构造特征与成因

阿尔金断裂是由阿尔金主干断层及其他次级断裂面组成的巨型走滑断裂系，其分布规律符合左行走滑挤压模式。昌马盆地位于阿尔金断裂带东段，它的古应力场与阿尔金断层的运动方向一致。昌马盆地北界是阿尔金主干断层；南界由锯齿状相交的半截子井－野马山断层、野观山断层、石板墩－龚岔口断层、中祁连北缘断层组成，分别是阿尔金主干断层的S面、小型Y面、P面、S面；东界由香毛山西断层、马舌头断层、青石岩断层组成，分别是阿尔金主干断层的X面、S顶、R’面，昌马盆地是由这些断层围限的狭长三角形。因此，昌马盆地是阿尔金断裂带中主干断层与分枝断层联合作用形成的走滑分枝盆地。盆地经历了侏罗纪－白垩纪的拉张作用，接受了巨厚的沉积；晚第三纪到第四纪由于阿尔金断裂左行走滑运动，盆地反转，处于受挤压状态，形成走滑分枝盆地。通过对昌马盆地石油地质特征的分析，认为昌马盆地具有形成油气的有利地质条件，应加强勘探力度。     

The Erzincan earthquake of 13 March 1992 in Eastern Turkey: tectonic aspects

The tectonic significance of the Erzincan earthquake of 13 March, 1992 in Eastern Turkey is discussed. The intersection of the North Anatolian and The East Anatolian strike-slip fault zones has resulted in formation of the Erzincan pull-apart basin and new seismically active fault branches on its northeastern side. Local concentrations of surface ruptures strike along the most active branches of the North Anatolian fault zone (N300W) for 62 km. They are usually open fractures with northeastern sides uplifted up to 20 cm and rarely with dextral offset up to 10 cm. These secondary ruptures manifest indirectly oblique seismic fault displacement corresponding to the Late Quaternary motion on the fault zone, although at the surface the dextral component has been suppressed relative to the vertical one.