SURFACE DEFORMATION AND TECTONIC SETTING OF THE 13 MARCH 1992 ERZINCAN EARTHQUAKE, EASTERN TURKEY

The earthquake of 13 March 1992 (Ms = 6-8) in the densely populated Er zincan region of eastern Turkey resulted in about 500 deaths, at least 2000 people injured and widespread destruction of buildings. The resu lts are presented of field observations carried out within the Erzinca n Basin immediately after the earthquake. The main area of surface def ormation is about 55 km2 in extent and lies 15 km south-east of Erzinc an. Surface fractures with significant displacements were observed wit h orientations as follows: strike-slip 095-110-degrees (dextral), 040- degrees (sinistral) and 090-degrees (sinistral); extensional 150-180-d egrees. Most of the observed fractures are consistent with the Harvard centroid moment tensor solution for the main shock, which indicates n orth-south compressional and east-west extensional principal horizonta l stress axes. It is suggested that the earthquake probably occurred a s a result of dextral strike-slip motion on a segment of the North Ana tolian Fault Zone.