Active Deformation Across the Western Anatolian Extensional Province (Türkiye) From Sentinel-1 InSAR.

Quantifying interseismic deformation of fault networks which are predominantly deforming in a north-south direction is challenging, because GNSS networks are usually not dense enough to resolve deformation at the level of individual faults. The alternative, interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR), provides high spatial resolution but is limited by a low sensitivity to N-S motion. We study the active normal fault network of Western Türkiye, which is undergoing rapid N-S extension, using InSAR. Since most faults in the study region are normal faults, we overcome the low N-S sensitivity by focusing on the vertical deformation component, which presents its own challenges. Sediment-filled grabens show rapid anthropogenically induced subsidence, whereas urban areas tend toward erroneous uplift signals. Additionally, the morphological relief results in topographic and atmospheric disturbances of the InSAR signal. Our solution to these challenges is a systematic analysis of the high-resolution vertical velocity field to deduce insights into regional deformation patterns, combined with detailed investigations of deformation along individual faults in the Western Anatolian Extensional Province. We show that tectonic deformation in the large graben systems is not restricted to the main faults. Smaller and seemingly less active faults are accommodating strain, favoring a continuum model of deformation over block models. We also observe a potential correlation between recent seismicity and active interseismic surface deformation. Observed deformation rates provide an estimate of current activity for many faults in the region. We discuss the potential and limitations of InSAR time series analysis for extensional regimes.
(© 2024. The Author(s).)