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An investigation of seismicity for western Anatolia

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Abstract

In order to investigate the seismicity of western Anatolia limited with the coordinates of 36°–40° N, 26°–32° E, Gutenberg–Richter magnitude–frequency relation, seismic risk and recurrence period have been computed. The data belonging to both the historical period before 1900 (I0 ≥ 5.0 corresponding to MS ≥ 4.4) and the instrumental period until the end of 2006 (MS ≥ 4.0) has been used in the analysis. The study area has been divided into 13 sub-regions due to certain seismotectonic characteristics, plate tectonic models and geology of the region. All the computations have been performed for these sub-regions, separately. According to the results, a and b values in the computed magnitude–frequency relations are in the intervals 3.19±0.17 – 5.15±0.52 and 0.42±0.05 – 0.66±0.07, respectively. The highest b values have been determined for sub-regions 3 and 12 (Demirci-Gediz and Gökova Gulf-Muğla-Gölhisar). The lowest b values have also been determined for sub-regions 1 and 9 (Balıkesir and Bodrum-İstanköy). Finally, seismic risk and recurrence period computations from a and b values have shown as expected that sub-regions 1 and 9 which have the lowest b values and the highest risks and the shortest-recurrence periods.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Engineering Faculty, Department of Geophysics, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, 61080, Turkey

    Nilgün Sayil

  2. Engineering Faculty, Department of Geophysics, Istanbul University, Avcılar-Istanbul, 34850, Turkey

    İlhan Osmanşahin

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  1. Nilgün Sayil
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  2. İlhan Osmanşahin
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Correspondence to Nilgün Sayil.

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Sayil, N., Osmanşahin, İ. An investigation of seismicity for western Anatolia. Nat Hazards 44, 51–64 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-007-9141-2

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