Fault-slip rate determination of çardak segment of east anatolian fault system (Kahramanmaraş) using OSL-dating and its tectonic significance

The East Anatolian Fault System is an active intracontinental transform fault located at the eastern part of Türkiye and forms the border of the Anatolian and Arabian plates in the south. This sinistral strike-slip system extends from Karlıova (Bingöl) to Antakya (Hatay). The system splits into two branches after Çelikhan (Adıyaman). The main branch is between Karlıova and Antakya, and the northern branch is between Çelikhan and İskenderun Bay. After Çelikhan, southern branch is connected to the Dead Sea Fault and Cyprus Arc in the Antakya region, and the northern branch is connected to the Misis Fault Zone through the Iskenderun Bay. The earthquakes that took place in the historical and instrumental period on the south branch caused many losses of life and property. The Çardak Fault, which is the subject of this thesis, is one of the segments, forming the northern branch of the Eastern Anatolian Fault System and is located between the Nurhak Fault Complex and the Göksun Bend. The 85 km long Çardak Fault Segment extends E-W direction. The aims of this thesis are; (1) evaluate paleostress analysis in the light of fault-slip data from the planes of the Çardak Fault and to discuss them in a regional perspective, (2) determine the geomorphological features, controlled by the faults, and (3) calculate the slip rate of the Çardak Fault for the first time using Optical Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating technique, with the samples taken from the Quaternary sediments cut by the Çardak Fault. The findings of this study will generate scientific data that will provide a better understanding of this part of the Eastern Anatolian Fault System, which has recently been brought to the forefront due to the devastating earthquakes, as well as the basis for the measures that will be taken to minimise the losses that may occur. The paleostress analysis, which is one of the field investigations, revealed that the sinistral strike-slip Çardak Fault's stress regime is pure strike-slip. In addition, to calculate the slip rate of the fault, the ages of the samples taken from the loose older geological alluvial fan unit below the youngest carbonate cemented unit were determined and the slip rate was calculated as 4.04 mm/year according to the OSL dating. Thus, it was understood that the slip rate of the youngest fan unit in the field was lower than this value.