Start |Grid View | Author Index | View Uploaded Presentations | Meeting Information

GSA Connects 2024 Meeting in Anaheim, California

Paper No. 7-4
Presentation Time: 9:00 AM

THE SOURCE OF 2023.10. 7-15 (MW 6.3) NORTH HERAT EARTHQUAKES: AŞKABAT-HERAT-MEZAR-I ŞERIF FOLD AND THRUST BELT


SEYITOĞLU, Gürol, Department of Geological Engineering, Tectonics Research Group, Ankara University, Ankara, Ankara 06100, Turkey, AHMADI, Hemayatullah, PhD, Department of Geological Engineering and Exploration of Mines, Kabul Polytechnic University, Kart-e-Mamurin, 5th District, Kabul, Kabul 1001, Afghanistan and TOORI, Moosarreza, Arazi, 4th Section, Arazi, Zanjan, Zanjan 123, Iran (Islamic Republic of)

The 2023 Herat earthquake sequence, a series of five earthquakes with moment magnitudes (Mw) ranging from 5.9 to 6.3, struck northwestern Afghanistan near Herat City (October 7-15, 2023). This event resulted in significant casualties (at least 2400 fatalities and over 2000 injuries) and highlights the need for a better understanding of regional tectonics.

The epicenter distribution of the earthquakes is located on the north of Herat and their focal mechanism solutions indicate east-west trending nearly pure thrust faults. This is a surprising result, because only known active structure in this region is the right-lateral strike-slip Herat Fault Zone. However, the epicenter distribution is far away to interpret these seismic events within a restraining stepover along the Herat Fault Zone. The preliminary InSAR data demonstrate a regional uplift around the epicenter locations in the north of Herat city.

High-resolution satellite imagery (Google Earth Pro) and digital elevation models (DEM-5m) were employed for detailed analysis of potential active thrust structures in the region that is on the north of a meeting point of the NE-SW trending right-lateral Herat Fault Zone and the NW-SE trending left-lateral Doruneh Fault Zone. We recognize presence of previously unidentified "blind thrust/back-thrust" faults by using fault propagation folds (mainly asymmetrical anticlines). These faults, trending northwest-southeast in the west (around Aşkabat) and east-west/east-northeast to west-southwest in the Herat and Mezar-ı Şerif regions, are characteristic of the Aşkabat-Herat-Mezar-ı Şerif (AHM) Fold and Thrust Belt. The re-interpretation of previous earthquakes under the light of AHM Fold and Thrust Belt including tear faults would contribute to broader advancements in our understanding of earthquake processes associated with double-vergent fold and thrust belts along the collision of Arabian/Indian and Eurasian plates.

Recorded Presentation

Session No. 7

T51. Earth Surface Processes in Tectonically Active and Unstable Regions I
Sunday, 22 September 2024: 8:00 AM-12:00 PM
210B (Anaheim Convention Center)
Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 56, No. 5
doi: 10.1130/abs/2024AM-401000
© Copyright 2024 The Geological Society of America (GSA), all rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to the author(s) of this abstract to reproduce and distribute it freely, for noncommercial purposes. Permission is hereby granted to any individual scientist to download a single copy of this electronic file and reproduce up to 20 paper copies for noncommercial purposes advancing science and education, including classroom use, providing all reproductions include the complete content shown here, including the author information. All other forms of reproduction and/or transmittal are prohibited without written permission from GSA Copyright Permissions.
Back to: T51. Earth Surface Processes in Tectonically Active and Unstable Regions I
<< Previous Abstract | Next Abstract >>