February 6, 2023 Mw 7.7 Pazarcık earthquake: characteristic features of the surface rupture along the Çakmak Fault (Adıyaman-Gölbaşı-Akçabel)

Abstract

This study examines in detail the surface rupture observed between the Gölbaşı district of Adıyaman province and Akçabel town, which resulted from the February 6, 2023, Kahramanmaraş/Pazarcık (Mw: 7.7) earthquake along the East Anatolian Fault System. The deformation along the surface rupture, identified through 1:25,000 scale mapping and field studies, was measured in terms of left-lateral displacement and vertical slip values. These measurements were interpreted in conjunction with a stress state analysis based on instrumental earthquake data. The studies conducted on the surface rupture revealed the following findings: (i) the surface rupture, mapped over approximately 15 km between the Gölbaşı district of Adıyaman province and Akçabel town, aligns with the Çakmak fault defined in this study; (ii) the largest left-lateral displacement and vertical slip values observed along the surface rupture were 425 cm and 102 cm, respectively, near Çakmak town; and (iii) stress analysis indicated that the fault underwent deformation due to the influence of a WNW-ENE extensional force and NNE-SSW compression, consistent with a transtensional tectonic regime. © 2025, Gumushane University. All rights reserved.