İzmir Dokuz Eylül University (DEÜ) Faculty of Engineering, Department of Geological Engineering, Department of General Geology, Prof. Dr. Hasan Sözbilir said that they examined 128 faults in the region with nearly 100 scientists after the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquake on February 6, and drew attention to the Malatya Fault. Prof. Dr. Sözbilir said, “If each of the 3 segments that make up the Malatya Fault breaks on its own, it can produce a 7.2 magnitude earthquake.”
On February 6, Turkey was shaken by earthquakes of magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 centered in Kahramanmaraş, affecting a wide area. After the earthquake, scientists from the Ministry of Interior Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency, General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration, General Directorate of Mapping, Union of Municipalities of Turkey and many universities, which are stakeholder organizations of TÜBİTAK, went to the earthquake zone. Research began on faults that could directly affect provinces in Central Anatolia, the Mediterranean and Southeastern Anatolia. Prof. Dr. Hasan Sözbilir, Dr. Mustafa Softa and Dr. Özkan Cevdet Özdağ from DEU, Prof. Dr. Ercan Ersoy, Dr. Elif Akgün, Dr. Serap Çolak Erol, Dr. Sibel Kayğılı from Fırat University, Prof. Dr. Volkan Karabacak from Eskişehir Osmangazi University, Prof. Dr. Çağlar Özkaymak from Afyon Kocatepe University, Prof. Dr. Fikret Koçbulut from Çukurova University, Prof. Dr. Fikret Koçbulut from Çukurova University. Prof. Dr. Fikret Koçbulut from Çukurova University, Prof. Dr. Serkan Gürgüze from Selçuk University and many postgraduate students are working on faults such as the Şirvan Fault, Cizre Fault, Antakya Fault, Dead Sea Fault, Malatya Fault and the Central Anatolian Fault-Deliler segment.
NEARLY 100 SCIENTISTS STUDY 128 FAULTS
Prof. Dr. Hasan Sözbilir, a faculty member at DEU Faculty of Engineering, Department of Geological Engineering, Department of General Geology, gave information about the studies carried out. Stating that nearly 500 kilometers of faults broke after the February 6 earthquakes, Prof. Dr. Sözbilir said, “After this break, many faults in the region were affected and started to produce earthquakes on small scales. In order to conduct studies on these faults, the Turkey Paleoseismology Research Project was prepared. Within the scope of this project, nearly 100 scientists from many universities are working in the region. We are studying 128 faults at the same time. We are investigating the earthquake potential of these faults.”
Prof. Dr. Sözbilir mentioned the studies they are conducting on the Malatya Fault and said, “Malatya Fault is one of the important faults. It is the fault right at the foot of the second big earthquake. It is a fault that will seriously affect Malatya if it breaks. It is 200 kilometers long and consists of 3 fault segments. Each of these 3 segments that make up the Malatya Fault can produce a 7.2 magnitude earthquake if they break on their own. Studies to date show that the Malatya Fault has not broken for 3 thousand years. We especially want to find the earthquake recurrence period of the fault. We are trying to open trenches on the faults and learn its history.”
Prof. Dr. Hasan Sözbilir said that there were more than 100 thousand aftershocks in the region after the February 6 earthquakes and added, “There are also small earthquakes on the Malatya Fault. We are conducting studies to see if this will be triggered or not. The Malatya Fault is a fault that can also affect other faults. If it breaks, there is the Ovacik Fault extending towards North Anatolia at the bottom. Therefore, it needs to be studied in great detail.”
