The 2020 Mw 6.8 Elaziğ (Turkey) earthquake reveals rupture behavior of
the East Anatolian Fault
Ezgi Karasozen

Alaska Earthquake Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks,, Alaska Earthquake Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks,, Alaska Earthquake Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks,
Author ProfileAbstract
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.