Investigation of the earthquake epicenter direction using local electrical measurements

Geophysical changes observed on Earth are considered to be unusual behaviors that occur before, during, and after seismic events. Geophysical changes recorded in seismically active regions are generally the result of physical and chemical processes that may be related to earthquakes. In order to determine whether this process can be identified as a precursor to an earthquake, it is necessary to establish a relationship between the seismic activities occurring in the vicinity of the fault zone and the abnormal changes obtained from the analysis of geophysical signals. In this study, earthquakes that occurred in and around the East Anatolia Fault Zone (DAFZ), one of Turkey's high seismic risk areas, and the short-term changes in geoelectric potential difference accompanying these processes were analyzed. The seismic electrical signal (SES) change monitoring station established on the Harran University Osmanbey Campus provides the opportunity to examine electrical changes before and after earthquakes. The system monitoring SES changes in the region covers two different lines located in the North-South (N-S) and East-West (E-W) directions. The lines are positioned at a 90-degree angle in an L-shape, and each line is 89 meters long. There are electrodes buried in the ground at the ends of the lines, and the SES measurements are recorded in millivolts on a HIOKI brand data recording device via these lines. In this study, geophysical signals potentially related to the February 6, 2023 Kahramanmaraş Earthquakes and the subsequent 30-day period of aftershocks were analyzed, along with data from the TÜBİTAK project titled "Analysis of Geophysical Changes and Monitoring of Seismic Activity in the Eastern Anatolia Fault Zone and Surrounding Areas, and Feasibility Study for the Establishment of an Earthquake Early Warning System" (Project No.122Y365) for the year 2024. The findings indicate that a potential earthquake epicenter direction can be determined for short-term earthquake prediction