The complex dynamics of the 2023 Kahramanmaraş, Turkey,<i>M</i><sub>w</sub>7.8-7.7 earthquake doublet
Zhe Jia, Zeyu Jin, Mathilde Marchandon, Thomas Ulrich, Alice‐Agnes Gabriel, Wenyuan Fan, Peter M. Shearer, Xiaoyu Zou, John Rekoske, Fatih Bulut, Aslı Garagon, Yuri Fialko
Abstract
The destructive 2023 moment magnitude ( M w ) 7.8-7.7 earthquake doublet ruptured multiple segments of the East Anatolian Fault system in Turkey. We integrated multiscale seismic and space-geodetic observations with multifault kinematic inversions and dynamic rupture modeling to unravel the events’ complex rupture history and stress-mediated fault interactions. Our analysis reveals three subshear slip episodes during the initial M w 7.8 earthquake with a delayed rupture initiation to the southwest. The M w 7.7 event occurred 9 hours later with a larger slip and supershear rupture on its western branch. Mechanically consistent dynamic models accounting for fault interactions can explain the unexpected rupture paths and require a heterogeneous background stress. Our results highlight the importance of combining near- and far-field observations with data-driven and physics-based models for seismic hazard assessment.