Strain Rate Analysis on the Çankiri-Bingöl Segment of the North Anatolian Fault in Turkey

The North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ) is one of the most important fault zones of Turkey and the world. It has produced several high magnitude earthquakes that have resulted in massive loss of lives and resources. National and international research on the North Anatolian Fault zone that Turkey resides on have been realized to better understand and predict the earthquakes produced by it. This study focuses on the Cankiri – Bingol segment of the NAFZ. The aim of this study is to calculate the strain and latent earthquake potential of the studied area. For this purpose, geodetic data coming from several individual projects have been merged. Strain values have been calculated from the combined data and regions on the fault zone, and strain accumulations have been presented graphically. After calculation, Cankiri, Amasya and Kelkit regions were analyzed. The compressional and extensional deformation has been shown in north and south part of Cankiri basin, respectively. Eastern adjacent area of the Cankiri basin, Amasya region, has the primary branch of the NAF and its subbranches. In the Amasya region, the deformation is mostly on the main branch and the earthquake potential has risen to it. The Kelkit Valley has complex structures and inhomogeneous dispersion. Southeastern and Northwestern part of the Kelkit Valley has varied deformation in micro scale. Consequently, the study results indicate that strain accumulation is concentrated on areas such as the Cankiri basin, Amasya region, and various areas in the Kelkit Valley from west to east. Analisis de la Velocidad de Deformacion en el Segmento Cankiri-Bingol de la Falla de Anatolia del Norte, Turquia. Resumen La Zona de la Falla de Anatolia del Norte (NAFZ, del ingles North Anatolian Fault Zone) es una de las zonas de fallas mas importantes de Turquia y del mundo. Esta falla ha generado varios terremotos de gran magnitud que han resultado en perdidas humanas y de recursos. La investigacion nacional e internacional de la Zona de la Falla de Anatolia del Norte, que atraviesa Turquia, se ha realizado con el fin de un mejor entendimiento y prediccion de los terremotos que alli se originan. Este analisis se enfoca en el segmento Cankiri-Bingol de la NAFZ. El objetivo es calcular la tension y el potencial de terremoto del area de estudio. Con este proposito se recopilo la informacion geodesica de varios proyectos individuales. Los valores de tension se calcularon de la informacion combinada de las regiones que componen la zona de falla y se presentan graficamente las acumulaciones de tension. Tras el calculo de estos valores se analizaron las regiones Cankiri, Amasya y Kelkit. La deformacion de compresion y la de extension aparecen al norte y al sur de la cuenca Cankiri, respectivamente. El area ubicada al Este de la cuenca Cankiri, la region de Amasya, posee la rama principal de la NAFZ y sus subdivisiones. En la region de Amasya la deformacion se presenta en la rama principal de la NAFZ, donde se eleva el potencial de movimientos sismicos. El valle de Kelkit tiene estructuras complejas y dispersion no homogenea. El sudeste y el noroeste del valle Kelkit muestran una deformacion variada a microescala. Los resultados de este estudio indican que la acumulacion de tension se concentra en la cuenca Cankiri, la region Amasya y varias areas del valle Kelkit desde el oeste hacia el este.