Structural relationship between the Sea of Marmara Basin and the North Anatolian Fault Zone

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe North Anatolian Fault (NAF) zone is 1500 km long, extending almost up to the Greek mainland in the west. It is a seismically active right‐lateral strike‐slip fault that accommodates the relative motion between the Turkish block and Black Sea plate. The Sea of Marmara lies along the western part of the NAF and shows evidence of subsidence. In this area pure strike‐slip motion of the fault zone changes into extensional strike‐slip movement that is responsible for the creation of the Sea of Marmara and the North Aegean basins. The northern half of the Sea of Marmara is interpreted as a large pull‐apart basin. This basin is subdivided into three smaller basins separated by strike‐slip fault segments of uplifted blocks NE‐SW. Basinal areas are covered by horizontally layered sedimentary sequences. Uplifted blocks have undergone compressional stress. All the blocks are subsiding and are undergoing vertical motions and rotations relative to one another. The uplifted blocks exhibit positive Bouguer gravity anomalies. According to gravity interpretation, there is relative crustal thinning under the Sea of Marmara. The northern side of the Sea of Marmara is marked by a distinctive deep‐rooted magnetic anomaly, which is dissected and shifted southward by strike‐slip faulting. The southern shelf areas of the Sea of Marmara are dominated by short‐wavelength magnetic anomalies of shallow origin.