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The 2020 Mw 6.8 Elaziğ (Turkey) earthquake reveals rupture behavior of the East Anatolian Fault
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  • Léa Pousse Beltran,
  • Edwin Nissen,
  • Eric Bergman,
  • Musavver Didem Cambaz,
  • Élyse Gaudreau,
  • Ezgi Karasozen,
  • Fengzhou Tan
Léa Pousse Beltran
University of Victoria, University of Victoria, University of Victoria

Corresponding Author:leapousse@uvic.ca

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Edwin Nissen
University of Victoria, University of Victoria, University of Victoria
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Eric Bergman
Global Seismological Services, Global Seismological Services, Global Seismological Services
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Musavver Didem Cambaz
Boğaziçi Üniversitesi, Boğaziçi Üniversitesi, Boğaziçi Üniversitesi
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Élyse Gaudreau
University of Victoria, University of Victoria, University of Victoria
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Ezgi Karasozen
Alaska Earthquake Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks,, Alaska Earthquake Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks,, Alaska Earthquake Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks,
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Fengzhou Tan
University of Victoria, University of Victoria, University of Victoria
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Abstract

The 2020 Mw 6.8 Elaziğ earthquake was the largest along the Eastern Anatolian Fault (EAF) in over a century and so provides valuable insights into its rupture behavior. Because the EAF is of low-to-intermediate structural maturity, this earthquake could also help refine the controls of cumulative fault offset on characteristics such as rupture velocity, shallow slip deficits, and afterslip. We use satellite geodesy and seismology to detail the mainshock rupture, postseismic deformation and aftershocks, and relations to previous earthquakes. The mainshock propagated bilaterally at ~2km/s from a nucleation point on an abrupt ~10° fault bend. Only one end of the rupture corresponds to an established EAF segment boundary, and the earthquake may have propagated into the slip zone of the 1874 M ~7.1 Gölcuk Gölu earthquake. It exhibits a pronounced (~80%) shallow slip deficit, only a small proportion of which is recovered by early aseismic afterslip.