Holocene activity of the Eskişehir fault- Sultandere segment

The Eskişehir Fault is a right-lateral strike-slip fault, approximately 78 km long, extending from Erikli (Bilecik) in a west-southwest direction to Türkmentokat (Eskişehir). The fault generally consists of 4 different segments with W−E and WNW−ESE directions, with earthquake generating potential. In this study, the Sultandere Segment, located in the easternmost part of the Eskişehir Fault and approximately 20 km long, was examined with detailed geological-geomorphological field studies, and the Holocene activity of the segment was investigated with the help of paleoseismological trenches. Studies on the Sultandere Segment revealed the presence of traces of right-lateral displacement in the current stream beds along the fault and young morphology-controlled lineaments. Fault excavations showed the presence of repeated earthquakes along the current extension within the Holocene sediments. When evaluated together with the existing field observations, the obtained paleoseismological data prove that the Sultandere Segment of the Eskişehir Fault is a right-lateral strike-slip active fault with the potential to produce earthquakes of magnitude 6 and above.