Kinematics and evolution of the northern branch of the North Anatolian Fault (Ganos Fault) between the Sea of Marmara and the Gulf of Saros

Morpho-tectonic evolution of the Çanakkale Basin (NW Anatolia): evidence for a recent tectonic inversion from transpression to transtension

“…1) from there onward (Okay et al 2004). This change in orientation forms a restraining bend in the fault zone, which adds a compressional component to the NS-NAFZ (Okay et al 1999(Okay et al , 2004Yaltırak and Alpar 2002;Gökaşan et al 2003). The compressional nature of this fault can be clearly seen in a seismic section located south of Gazikoy village where the fault enters Thrace (Fig.…”

“…4a). Onland, the compressional component of the NS-NAFZ is revealed by sharply increased inclinations of the Upper Miocene units toward the fault, and by the uplifted Ganos Mountains as a restraining ridge (e.g., Tüysüz et al 1998;Yaltırak and Alpar 2002;Okay et al 2004). …”

“…2). On the Gelibolu Peninsula, the basin deposits are delimited by a northwest-facing thrust fault (the Anafartalar Thrust Fault) that runs parallel to the axis of the peninsula (Saner 1985;Yaltırak et al 1998Yaltırak et al , 2000Yaltırak and Alpar 2002;Fig. 2).…”

“…The structures are represented by NE-SW-and ENE-WSW-trending folds, recumbent beds, small-scale thrust faults, and high-angle strike-slip faults. The Anafartalar Shear Zone (ASZ; called the Anafartalar Thrust Fault in Yaltırak et al 1998, 2000, and Yaltırak and Alpar 2002 is the most dominant structure on the Gelibolu Peninsula. It is a convex shear zone that is clearly visible in the NE part of Gelibolu (Fig.…”

“…Yet, only very few studies have focused on the basin itself (Elmas and Meriç 1998;Yaltırak et al 2000). In addition, the present tectonic activity of the Çanakkale Basin has in the past not been clearly linked to the NS-NAFZ, which has been interpreted as a transtensional fault in the Saros Gulf (Taymaz et al 1991;Yaltırak and Alpar 2002;Karabulut et al 2006;Ustaömer et al 2008).…”