M 6.7 - 13 km N of Do?anyol, Turkey

Tectonic Summary

The January 24, 2020, M 6.7 earthquake in eastern Turkey, ENE of Doganyol, occurred as the result of strike-slip faulting on or near the plate boundary between the Arabia plate and the Anatolia Block of the Eurasia plate. Preliminary focal mechanism solutions for the earthquake indicate faulting occurred as the result of either left lateral slip on a near-vertical plane striking west-southwest, or as right-lateral slip on a near-vertical plane striking north-northwest. Slip on the left-lateral plane would be consistent with the orientation of regional faults, and the local plate boundary. At the location of this event, the Arabia plate moves towards the north-northwest with respect to Eurasia at a rate of about 21 mm/yr. The Anatolia Block moves approximately towards the west with respect to both plates, creating right-lateral motion between Anatolia and Eurasia along the North Anatolian Fault in northern Turkey, and left-lateral motion between Anatolia and Arabia along the East Anatolian Fault in southeastern Turkey. The January 24 earthquake is located on or close to the East Anatolian Fault.

Turkey is a tectonically active country, and regularly experiences damaging earthquakes. Within 250 km of the January 24, 2020 earthquake, seven other M6 or larger events have occurred over the preceding half century. Several of these have been destructive; a M6.1 earthquake in May 1986, about 120 km to the west of this earthquake, killed 15 and damaged over 4,000 houses. A M 6.4 in May 2003, 140 km to the northeast of today’s event killed 177 people, injured hundreds, and destroyed over 700 buildings. In March, 2010, a M6.1 earthquake 100 km to the northeast killed 42, injured 100, and destroyed close to 300 buildings. In September 1975, a M 6.7 event (the 1975 Lice earthquake) about 140 km to the east of today’s earthquake killed more than 2,000 people and caused significant local damage. In May 1971, a M 6.9 event (the 1971 Bingöl earthquake) 150 km to the northeast of the January 2020 earthquake killed 65 and also caused significant damage. Farther back in time, the East Anatolian Fault has a history of large earthquakes. Preliminary locations for the January 24, 2020 event place it near a location of East Anatolian Fault that has no documented large rupture since an earthquake in 1875.