High-Resolution Co-Seismic Surface Displacement Distribution of the 6 February 2023, Elbistan (Kahramanmaraş) Earthquake (Mw 7.6), Türkiye

This study investigates the Elbistan Earthquake, the second event of an earthquake doublet that struck south-central Türkiye with magnitudes Mw 7.7 and Mw 7.6, on 6 February 2023. While space-based geodetic and remote sensing studies have provided information on surface rupture and displacement distribution, detailed rupture strands and ground deformations were not thoroughly documented. To address this gap, we generated a high-resolution (∼5 cm/px) and continuous 300-m-wide strip map along the entire surface rupture. Our mapping reveals a primarily sinistral rupture length of approximately 143 km between Göksun and Gözene, with previously unrecognized faults at the westernmost 4.5 km and easternmost 20 km. In the east, the rupture rotates 42° anticlockwise and propagates NE along an unmapped fault rather than the Sürgü and Doğanşehir faults. The rupture is divided into seven major sections: Göksun, Ericek, Ekinözü, Barış, Nurhak Fault Complexity, Kullar, Gözene and Eskiköy splay. The width of the deformation zone of primary and secondary features varies from a few meters to 1.5 km along these sections. Our analysis of 538 co-seismic displacements reveal maximum displacement of 10.58 ± 0.3 m in the Ekinözü section. The mean co-seismic displacement along the rupture is 4.1 m based on a moving mean fit to the displacements. These findings provide crucial insights into the Elbistan Earthquake co-seismic surface deformation and displacement distribution, enhancing our understanding of the rupture mechanics and contributing valuable high-resolution data for seismic hazard assessment in the region.