Multiple segmentation and seismogenic evolution of the 6th February 2023 (Mw 7.8 and 7.7) consecutive earthquake ruptures and aftershock deformation in the Maras triple junction region of SE-Anatolia, Turkey

Abstract

On 6th February 2023 (UTC), two consecutive and catastrophic earthquakes with moment magnitudes (Mw) 7.8 and 7.7 struck the Maras Triple Junction (MTJ) region in SE Anatolia along with dozens of aftershocks, causing numerous casualties and significant building damage, and generating the most complex and longest surface ruptures ever observed in Turkey. The main driving mechanisms of this complex double event are still unresolved and remain controversial, even though they are likely linked with conventional fault activations, recurrence intervals and seismic gaps. Here, the aim was to gain insight into the source regimes and rupture processes of both events and their relationship with resolved fault focal solutions for the observed aftershocks, and to present an interpretation that accounts for the most puzzling aspects of the fault rupture models. In line with this, the coseismic slip distributions of these two events were examined by joint analyses of centroid moment tensor (CMT) and finite-fault source inversions using regional and teleseismic broadband observations. Inversion results indicate that both earthquakes were left-lateral strike-slip events, and the main ruptures extended mainly from close to NNE to SSW and E to W, with maximum slips of -6.5-10 m, mostly confined to a shallow depth range of <= -10-15 km and extending to the surface, indicating bilateral source processes with an average rupture velocity of -3.5-5.5 km/s. The estimated total seismic moment range was 4.94-8.22 x 1020 N m, associated with -352-152 km long (along strike) and - 25 km wide (along dip) fault planes at focal depth of -10 km. Regional CMT results indicate nearly pure normal-slip and left-lateral normal oblique-slip focal mechanisms and shallow centroid depths (<= -15 km) for the early aftershock distribution that are obviously complementary with the coseismic bilateral rupture propagations. This result highlights that double pull-apart branching of focal mechanisms for aftershock occurrence implies interacting fault ruptures embedded in the MTJ area, where two sub-/ supershear-rupturing faults meet, thus explaining multiple segmentation and seismogenic evolutions of two interrelated mainshocks, i.e. triple junction earthquakes. The results reveal that the MTJ tends to migrate to the SSW and likely drives the SSW-stepping of the left-lateral strike-slip shear (-136 km). This accounts for the peak slips, long co-seismic fault ruptures and the associated faulting styles. Hence, the co-seismic faulting apparently distributed across the MTJ may reflect triple junction migration, and thus large extension at the core of the Anatolian-Arabian plates, leading to very high seismic hazard in similar junction regions of the country.