Knowledge of the structure of continental strike‐slip faults within the lithosphere is essential to understand where the deformation occurs and how strain localizes with depth. With the aim to improve the constraints on the lower crust and upper mantle structure of a major continental strike‐slip fault, we present a high‐resolution teleseismic tomography of the North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ) in Turkey. Our results highlight the presence of a relatively high velocity body between the two branches of the fault and significant along‐strike variations in the NAFZ velocity structure over distances of ∼20 km. We interpret these findings as evidence of laterally variable strain focussing caused by preexisting heterogeneity. Low velocities observed in the crust and upper mantle beneath the NAFZ support the presence of a narrow shear zone widening in the upper mantle, where we constrain its width to be ∼50 km.

We present high‐resolution S wave teleseismic tomography images of the western segment of the North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ) in Turkey using teleseismic data recorded during the deployment period of the Dense Array for Northern Anatolia array. The array comprised 66 stations with a nominal station spacing of 7 km, thus permitting a horizontal and vertical resolution of approximately 15 km. We use the current S wave results with previously published P wave teleseismic tomography to produce maps of relative VP/VS anomalies, which we use to highlight the difference in overall composition of the three terranes separated by the northern (NNAF) and southern branches of the NAFZ. Our results show a narrow S wave low‐velocity anomaly beneath the northern branch of the NAFZ extending from the upper crust, where it has a width of ∼10 km, to the lower crust, where it widens to ∼30 km. This low‐velocity zone most likely extends into the upper mantle, where we constrain its width to be ≤ 50 km and interpret it as indicative of localized shear beneath the NNAF; this structure is similar to what has been observed for the NAFZ west of 32°, and therefore, we propose that the structure of the NNAF is similar to that of the NAFZ in the east. The southern branch of the NAFZ does not show a very strong signature in our images, and we conclude that it is most likely rooted in the crust, possibly accommodating deformation related to rotation of the Armutlu/Almacik Blocks situated between the two NAFZ branches.

Abstract.We present high resolution S-wave teleseismic tomography images of the western segment of the North Anatolian Fault (NAFZ) in Turkey using teleseismic data recorded during the deployment period of the DANA array. The array comprised 66 stations with a nominal station spacing of 7 km, thus permitting a horizontal and vertical resolution of approximately 15 km. We use the current S-wave results with previously published P-wave teleseismic tomography to produce maps of relative V P /V S anomalies, which we use to highlight the difference in overall composition of the three terranes separated by the northern (NNAF) and southern (SNAF) branches of the NAFZ. Our results show a narrow S-wave low velocity anomaly beneath the northern branch of the NAFZ extending from the upper crust, where it has a width of ∼10 km, to the lower crust, where it widens to ∼30 km. This low velocity zone most likely extends into the upper mantle, where we constrain its width to be ≤50 km and interpret it as indicative of localised shear beneath the NNAF; this structure is similar to what has been observed for the NAFZ west of 32• and therefore we propose that the structure of the NNAF is similar to that of the NAFZ in the east. The SNAF does not show a very strong signature in our images and we conclude that it is most likely rooted in the crust, possibly accommodating deformation related to rotation of the Armutlu/Almacik Blocks situated between the two NAFZ branches. Keypoints:• An ∼15-km resolution teleseismic S-wave velocity model constrains width and depth of the North Anatolian Fault in the crust and upper mantle