HISTORICAL EARTHQUAKE ACTIVITY OF THE NORTHERN PART OF THE DEAD SEA FAULT ZONE, SOUTHERN TURKEY

Abstract

The northern part of the Dead Sea Fault Zone is one of the major active neotectonic structures of Turkey. The main trace of the fault zone (called Hacıpaşa fault) is mapped in detail in Turkey on the basis of morphological and geological evidence such as offset creeks, fault surfaces, shutter ridges and linear escarpments. Three trenches were opened on the investigated part of the fault zone. Trench studies provided evidence for 3 historical earthquakes and comparing trench data with historical earthquake records showed that these earthquakes occurred in 859 AD, 1408 and 1872. Field evidence, palaeoseismological studies and historical earthquake records indicate that the Hacıpaşa fault takes the significant amount of slip in the northern part of the Dead Sea Fault Zone in Turkey. On the basis of palaeoseismological evidence, it is suggested that the recurrence interval for surface faulting event is 506 ± 42 years on the Hacıpaşa fault.