Ökmen Sümer

Palaeoseismology of the Havran-Balıkesir Fault Zone: evidence for past earthquakes in the strike-slip-dominated contractional deformation along the southern branches of the North Anatolian fault in northwest Turkey

The Havran-Balıkesir Fault Zone (HBFZ) is one of the major active structures of the Southern Marmara Region, which has been shaped by the southern branch of North Anatolian fault since the Pliocene. HBFZ is a 10–12 km wide, 120 km long, right-lateral strike-slip fault zone that consists of two ENE-striking main faults, namely, the Havran-Balya and Balıkesir faults. The 90-km-long Havran-Balya fault exhibits right-stepping en echelon geometry and is made up of (1) Havran, (2) Osmanlar, (3) Turplu and (4) Ovacık fault segments. On the eastern part, the 70-km-long Balıkesir fault is divided into two fault segments; (1) Gökçeyazı and (2) Kepsut. We estimated the long-term slip rate between 3.59 and 3.78 mm/yr using river offset. The Kepsut, Gökçeyazı and Ovacık fault segments are capable of generating an earthquake with a moment magnitude of up to 7.2. Detailed palaeoseismological studies show that the HBFZ is responsible for some surface faulting earthquakes with an average recurrence interval of 1000–2000 years during the late Holocene. Considering the fact that there was no evidence of a surface-ruptured earthquake for 2000 years, it can be stated that there is a seismic gap on the Gökçeyazı fault segment.

Kinematic analysis and palaeoseismology of the Edremit Fault Zone: evidence for past earthquakes in the southern branch of the North Anatolian Fault Zone, Biga Peninsula, NW Turkey

The Edremit Fault Zone (EFZ) forms one of the southern segments of the North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ) at the northern margin of the Edremit Gulf (Biga Peninsula, South Marmara Region, Turkey). Stratigraphic, structural and kinematic results indicate that basinward younging of the fault zone, in terms of a rolling-hinge mechanism, has resulted in at least three discrete Miocene to Holocene deformational phases: the oldest one (Phase 1) directly related to the inactive Kazdağ Detachment Fault, which was formed under N–S trending pure extension; Phase 2 is characterised by a strike-slip stress condition, probably related to the progression of the NAFZ towards the Edremit area in the Plio–Quaternary; and Phase 3 is represented by the high-angle normal faulting, which is directly interrelated with the last movement of the EFZ. Our palaeoseismic studies on the EFZ revealed the occurrence of three past surface rupture events; the first one occurred before 13178 BC, a penultimate event that may correspond to either the 160 AD or 253 AD historical earthquakes, and the youngest one can be associated with the 6 October 1944 earthquake (Mw = 6.8). These palaeoseismic data indicate that there is no systematic earthquake recurrence period on the EFZ.

Evidence for the reactivation of a pre-existing zone of weakness and its contributions to the evolution of the Küçük Menderes Graben: a study on the Ephesus Fault, Western Anatolia, Turkey

Detailed geological mapping at the western end of the Küçük Menderes Graben (KMG) in western Turkey reveals two main sedimentary packages separated by a regional unconformity: (1) Miocene units and (2) KMG basin-fill deposits of Quaternary age. The older basin-fill is represented by colluvial/alluvial fan facies association, which was controlled by a NW–SE-trending and SW-facing dip-slip normal fault (the Ortaburun Fault) and the conformably overlying fluvial and lacustrine deposits. The younger basin-fill, besides being characterised by lateral colluvial fan and axial river sediments deposited under the control of the Ephesus Fault, a southern basin-margin fault character, is also responsible for the evolution of the modern KMG. The analysis of structural, stratigraphic and sedimentological data indicates that three different deformation phases dominated during the Miocene to Recent time in the region: (i) during Early–Middle Miocene Phase 1 deformation (D1), the NW–SE-trending Ephesus Fault moved as a left-lateral strike-slip fault and occurred within the NE–SW-trending dextral shear zone of the İzmir-Balıkesir Transfer Zone (İBTZ) time; (ii) Middle Miocene Phase 2 deformation (D2) was associated with Ortaburun Fault, the northern basin-margin fault of the ancient basin. During this phase, the sinistral Ephesus Fault was reactivated as a dip-slip normal fault; and (iii) Phase 3 deformation (D3) was related with the formation of the KMG during the Quaternary and the Ephesus Fault forms the southern margin of the modern KMG. Structural evidence and computed palaeostress results show that the main extension direction during phase 1 and phase 3 has changed from north-west to north-east direction. This further suggests an approximately 60° rotation around the vertical axes and is attributed to the fact the region lies within the strike-slip dominated İBTZ.

Tectono-sedimentary evolution of an Early Pleistocene shallow marine fan-deltaic succession at the western coast of Turkey

The Quaternary period on the western coast of Turkey is studied using sedimentological features and geochronological age data of the Söke-Milet Basin (SMB), which is a subsidiary to the Büyük Menderes Graben (BMG). Here, for the first time, we geochronologically document the Early Pleistocene shallow marine fan-deltaic succession in the Fevzipaşa Formation (basin-fill unit of the SMB), 15 km inland of the current Aegean coast and 150 m above current sea level. The formation outcrops at the western end of the BMG. It comprises an alluvial fan to freshwater carbonate, shallow marine fan-deltaic and alluvial fan depositional packages separated by intrabasinal unconformities. Based on conventional sedimentary data, seven different facies associations (FA) have been distinguished in the Fevzipaşa Formation: (FA 1) hyperconcentrated flow-generated lower alluvial fan deposits, (FA 2) freshwater lacustrine carbonate deposits, (FA 3) prodelta deposits, (FA 4) shallow marine fan-delta slope deposits, (FA 5) nearshore sandy mouth-bar-type fan-delta front deposits, (FA 6) alluvial fan-delta top deposits and (FA 7) hyperconcentrated flow-generated upper alluvial fan deposits. The shallow marine facies above the lower alluvial fan deposits, considered in conjunction with stratigraphical observations and geochronological and paleontological age data, suggest that a late Early Pleistocene transgression affected the Aegean region.

Palaeomagnetic and geochronological evidence for a major middle Miocene unconformity in Söke Basin (western Anatolia) and its tectonic implications for the Aegean region

Cenozoic convergence between the Eurasian and African plates and concurrent slab roll-back processes have produced a progressive extension in back-arc areas, such as the Aegean region and western Anatolia. There is still a long-standing controversy as to whether this was a continuous or stepwise process. To shed light on this controversy and on the driving mechanism of regional extension, we present palaeomagnetic and geochronological results from the Söke Basin located at the southeastern rim of the İzmir–Balıkesir Transfer Zone. Our improved geochronology shows that volcanic activity in the region occurred between 11.66 and 12.85 Ma. Middle to late Miocene palaeomagnetic data for the Söke Basin show a c. 23° clockwise rotation, whereas early Miocene data show a c. 28° counterclockwise rotation. The primary nature of the magnetization is indicated by a positive tilt test. The resulting c. 51° counterclockwise rotations during the middle Miocene signify a major tectonic reorganization, during a period when an interruption of exhumation of metamorphic massifs has been reported. We suggest that the İzmir–Balıkesir Transfer Zone is the main driver of the reorganization in the region. The regional fingerprint of this tectonic reorganization coincides with the acceleration of trench retreat and illustrates the surface impact of tearing of the Hellenic slab. Supplementary material: Details of 40Ar/39Ar analysis including heating steps and the output (.pmag) file including details of paleomagnetic analysis performed in this study are available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3690871