## 2 Geological and Geodynamic Settings  
Kahramanmaras province is a part of Turkish territory, characterised by an articulated fault network [41], located in the central-southern area of Turkey, in what has been defined as the Anatolia microplate.  
The Permian basement consists of metamorphic rocks. In this area, (Mesozoic) marine carbonate platforms indicate the presence of a shallow and shelf environment. It generally shows a Paleozoic-Mesozoic metamorphic complex, defined as the Malatya complex, often superimposed on younger formations (ophiolites) for tectonic thrust, made up of silicates such as mica-schist, quartz schist, and phyllite, and a series of carbonate rocks such as dolomite, marble, and recrystallised limestones; and an ophiolite (Berit Metaophilic) formation spanning from the late Cretaceous to the Eocene. Starting probably from the late Cretaceous, surely from the early Miocene due to the impending closure of the Neotethys, magmatism leaves its heritage of subduction and post-collisional origin (East Anatolian Volcanic Province--EAVP). Products span from mantle-derived composition like basalts and gabbros; then, there is an evolution toward intermediate and acidic terms. In the Plio quaternary, mostly, alluvial sediments are generally undisturbed on the top of this sequence ([42; 43] and references therein).  
The Kahramanmaras basin has been formed by the collision of the Arabian and Anatolian plates [44]. This area started to be filled up gradually from alluvial sediments and flysch [44], starting from the Miocene collision between the Arabic and Eurasian plates [45]. Here, intrusive granitidis are present and widespread. They intruded in quite volcanic and intrusive formations, up to the Malatya complex that overlies them. Quaternary alluvial sediments even here are on the top.  
Two important elements border the Anatolia microplate. Two strike-slip zones border this microplate: the North Anatolian fault zone (NAFZ), a right lateral E-W strike-slip, and the EAFZ, an ENE-WSW left-lateral strike-slip. The intersection of these two main faults identifies the Karlova Triple Junction zone, where the Anatolian microplate and the Arabic and the Eurasian plates meet each other.  
As reported in [46], the horizontal deformation velocity of the whole of Anatolia relative to Eurasia accounts for an average westward motion of about 20-25 mm/y and a shear strain rate concentrated along active tectonic structures, in particular, along the entire NAFZ and part of the EAFZ. [PERSON] et al. [47] report, in the NAFZ, a slip rate of up to 26 mm/y E-W, while the NNW slip rate goes up to 10 mm/y in the EAFZ. Starting from the southern border, the vectors are directed towards the NW to WNW direction. Along the northern border, the vectors point west, indicating a counterclockwise rotation. The result is an overall motion of Anatolia toward the west, as it is squeezed by the Arabian Plate, which moves nearly northward, and the Eurasian Plate, which generally has no N-S motion. According to [48], the heat flux in this area is above average, probably still linked to past magmatic activity. In fact, the area of the Kahramanmaras province reaches values of up to 100 mW/m\({}^{2}\). Here, by using the formula \(H=\lambda dT/dz\), where \(H\) is the conductive heat flux (supposing that no convective flux is acting) and \(\lambda\) is the thermal conductivity, and assuming a value of 2 W(m \({}^{\circ}\)C)\({}^{-1}\), typical of metamorphic and igneous rocks, we should have a geothermal gradient close to 50 \({}^{\circ}\)C/km.