September 25, 2024 Yumrukaya-Tatvan (Bitlis, Türkiye) Earthquake and a Seismo-Tectonic Evaluation of Its Impact on the Earthquake Hazard in the Region; 25 Eylül 2024 Yumrukaya-Tatvan (Bitlis, Türkiye) Depremi ve Bölgedeki Deprem Tehlikesine Etkisi Üzerine Sismo-Tektonik bir Değerlendirme

Abstract

The current and future earthquake hazard in and around Bitlis were tired to reveal by utilizing the September 25, 2024, Yumrukaya-Tatvan earthquake (Mw=4.5) and its aftershocks, b-value and Z-value distributions, occurrence probabilities and recurrence periods of earthquakes and variations in Coulomb stress within the scope of this study. Also, it was tried to determine which fault systems in the study area is related to the Yumrukaya-Tatvan mainshock, characterized by strike-slip faulting. b-value in G-R relation was computed as 0.84∓0.06 and small b-values (<1.0) were imaged in the north-northwest-southeast directions throughout the South East Anatolian Thrust Zone and Muş Fault Zone, and west of Lake Van. At the beginning of 2025, significant seismic quiescence was observed near the Muş Fault Zone and the south and southeast of the South East Anatolian Thrust Zone. Recurrence periods for the events with the magnitudes of Mw=5.0, 5.5 and 6.2 were computed as ~10, ~26 and ~100 years, respectively. Additionally, occurrence probabilities of earthquakes with these magnitudes in the intermediate-term (~10 years) were calculated as ~64%, ~32% and ~10%, respectively. Positive Coulomb stress changes carry out a movement from the Kavakbaşı Fault zone in the west and the Beğendik segment in the east toward the South East Anatolian Thrust Zone in the east-southeast. In this region, there is no active fault/fault system according to the General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration. Thus, these findings are significant clues showing that multiple parameter seismo-tectonic analyses are important in determining the earthquake hazard for the September 25, 2024 earthquake, and that regions with small b-values and seismic quiescence and regions with positive Coulomb stress changes may indicate current hazard and possible earthquake zones in the future. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.