Which fault system ruptured during the February 2023 Turkey earthquakes?

The East Anatolian Fault system ruptured during the February 2023 Turkey earthquakes. The devastating sequence began on February 6 with a magnitude 7.8 earthquake in southern Türkiye, followed hours later by another major earthquake of about magnitude 7.5.

The East Anatolian Fault is a major left-lateral strike-slip fault in eastern and southern Türkiye. It accommodates motion between the Anatolian and Arabian tectonic plates. During the 2023 sequence, rupture extended across multiple fault segments in the East Anatolian Fault zone, producing exceptionally long surface breaks and intense shaking.

The disaster affected a broad region of Türkiye and Syria. The first rupture began near the Kahramanmaraş area and propagated along connected fault structures. Because the earthquakes were shallow and occurred near densely populated communities, the damage was catastrophic.

The North Anatolian Fault is also a major Turkish fault and has produced historic earthquakes, but it was not the principal fault system associated with this February 2023 sequence. The Alpine and San Andreas faults are unrelated alternatives.