The Eastern Pontides (EP), which is the under transpressional deformation zone, is an active mountain belt that has been rising rapidly since the Cenozoic era because of the Arabian-Eurasian convergence. Morphometric studies have been performed to investigate the tectonic activity of this region and better understand the characteristics of the faults geomorphologically; the faults control the mountain fronts in the drainage basin of the EP. The results show the Hypsometric Curve (HC)-Hypsometric Integral (0.37-HI-0.67), Basin-Shaped Analysis (1.2-B_s-7), Valley-Floor-Width to Height-Ratio (0.4-V_f-1.2) and Asymmetry Factor (35-AF-81) applied to 46 drainage basins together with 9 tectonically controlled geomorphic indices (1.2-S_mf-1.5) and a Stream Length Gradient (30-S_L-120) indicate that the EP is tectonically active, and when the areas are evaluated according to S_mf and V_f analyses, the tectonic level is relatively high. According to our conceptual model for the uplifting of the EP, with respect to field studies and morphometric analysis, (i) the EP is the active deformation zone and has a “push-up” geometry in conjunction with the North Anatolian Fault; (ii) the EP is progressively uplifting at a rate of more than 0.5 mm/yr in along with the thrust faults of the Black Sea Fault (BSF) and Borjomi-Kazbegi Fault (BKF).

On the 6th of February 2023, Mw 7.7 Pazarcık (Kahramanmaraş) and Mw 7.6 Ekinözü (Kahramanmaraş) earthquakes that occurred in Türkiye are devastating earthquake series that filled the existing seismic gaps on East Anatolian Fault Zone on the same day. The first Mw 7.7 earthquake caught most people in their sleep and 9 h later, a second one was triggered, ending up with more than 50k death toll, widespread damage to buildings, and massive landslides. This study presents the surface rupture geometry and coseismic displacement characteristics determined with field observations immediately after February 6, 2023, Ekinözü (Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye) earthquake (Mw 7.6). Preliminary implications show that the total rupture length is 130 ± 10 km on the Çardak segment and Doğanşehir segment, known as the northern branch of the East Anatolian Fault Zone. Left lateral strike-slip faulting is developed with a maximum horizontal displacement of 6.60 m and an average displacement of 3.00 m. Furthermore, the pitches of slip lines ranging from 0° to 10° were measured on the neoformed fault planes. In addition to that, surface rupture exhibits restraining bends and releasing bends structure at small scales on the Çardak segment. From this point on, our preliminary results signify that Çardak and Doğanşehir segments were consecutively broken in Mw 7.6 Ekinözü (Kahramanmaraş) earthquake that traced between Göksun and Nurhak region and from there reached the Eskiköy regions. Furthermore, potential stress may be concentrated on not only the Sürgü segment which is on the transfer fault between the northern branch and the southern branch of East Anatolian Fault Zone but also the west of the Çardak segment and the northeast of the Doğanşehir segment near Yeşilyurt (Malatya).

Bu çalışmada, Doğu Anadolu Fay Zonu (DAFZ) güney kolunu oluşturan parçalarda 6 Şubat 2023 tarihinde meydana gelen Mw=7.7 büyüklüğündeki Pazarcık (Kahramanmaraş) depremine bağlı olarak gelişen yüzey kırıklarının, 1/25.000 ölçeğinde haritalanarak belirlenen morfolojisi ve atım miktarları esas alınarak bölgesel ölçekte değerlendirilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Yüzey kırığı üzerinde gerçekleştirilen çalışmalarda, Çelikhan’da 2.90 m olarak ölçülen sol yanal yer değiştirmenin Gölbaşı/Balkar’a doğru 3.80 m’ye ulaştığı, ana şokun olduğu yere yaklaşıldıkça da arttığı görülmektedir. Çelikhan’da dar bir deformasyon zonu geliştiren yüzey kırığı, Gölbaşı/Balkar mevkiine doğru sola sıçrama yaparak genişlemeli bir deformasyon zonu oluşturmaktadır. Bu duruma bağlı olarak 60 cm’ye varan düşey atımların da ölçüldüğü söz konusu alanda küçük ölçekli çek-ayır havzaların geliştiği gözlenmiştir.