The structural relationship between the East Anatolian and Dead Sea fault zones in southeastern Turkey

Abstract

The complex structural relationship between the East Anatolian and Dead Sea fault zones is examined, mostly based on field observations in southeastern Turkey where the two fault zones are close together. Several faults, previously poorly documented, can be traced to connect either to the East Anatolian fault zone or to the Dead Sea fault zone. One of these faults connects the Dead Sea fault zone to the east to the Amanos fault to the west. The Amanos fault, a N-trending normal fault, is a part of the East Anatolian fault zone since it is apparently a left-step fault between the main and southern strands of the East Anatolian fault zone. The Dead Sea fault zone also is connected to the East Anatolian fault zone northeast of the town of Narli and/or northeast of the Hazar lake. Therefore we suggest that the two fault zones can be considered as one broad fault system in southeastern Turkey, although they are well recognized as two different fault zones. This fault system is responsible for several complex Neogene structural features of the western part of the southeastern Turkey. One of these is the Hatay graben which can be divided into southern, central, and northern parts. The graben contains down to the west normal faults in its southern part. The central part of the graben is a divergent strike-slip basin and the northern part is a half-graben.