H. Ozturk et al., Intra-basinal water movements induced by faulting: the August 17, 1999, Golcuk (Izmit Bay) earthquake (M-W=7.4), MARINE GEOL, 170(3-4), 2000, pp. 263-270
A strong earthquake (M-w = 7.4) occurred near the town of Golcuk, Izmit Bay
, Western Turkey, at 00:01 GMT on August 17, 1999. Izmit Bay is a E-W trend
ing pull-apart basin with a surface area of about 300 km(2) along the North
Anatolian Fault Zone (NAF), in the eastern extension of the Sea of Marmara
. The earthquake was caused by a westerly movement of the Anatolian plate a
long NAF and was accompanied by isolated, chaotic water movements along the
northern and southern shores of the bay. At localities along the shoreline
a sudden drop in sea level, and a subsequent rise was prominent. The mode
of observed sealevel movements rules out the occurrence of a basin-wide tsu
nami, sensu stricto. Instead, the water movements are attributed to localiz
ed sudden dip-slip movements of fault blocks in this pull-apart basin. (C)
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