Where is the Yedisu Fault? Which provinces does it pass through?

As Turkey continues to grapple with earthquake risks, the latest statements by geoscientist Prof. Dr. Naci Görür in Bingöl have once again drawn attention to the Yedisu Fault.

Speaking at the 'Seismicity of Bingöl and Earthquake-Resilient Bingöl' event organized by the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB) at the Bingöl Municipality Conference Hall, Görür emphasized that the Yedisu Fault, located at the eastern end of the North Anatolian Fault Line, has the potential to produce a major earthquake.

WHERE DOES THE YEDİSU FAULT PASS?

The Yedisu Fault covers a line of approximately 75 kilometers in the eastern part of the North Anatolian Fault (NAF), extending from the east of the Erzincan Basin to the Yedisu district of Bingöl.

Starting from the south of Erzincan's Üzümlü district and passing through rugged terrain, this fault continues to the Yedisu district, revealing its geological traces through morphological signs such as linear slopes and shifted streams.

Scientifically defined as a 'seismic gap' (K70B), this region has been drawing attention due to the energy that has been accumulating for a long time.

This fault is positioned at a strategic point at the eastern end of the North Anatolian Fault, between Erzincan and the Karlıova district of Bingöl.

The Yedisu Fault, which did not even break during the 1939 Erzincan Earthquake, was last active in 1784 and has continued to accumulate energy for 241 years since that day.

Pointing out that stress accumulates 'like a piggy bank' as the plates shift 1-2 centimeters each year, Görür stated that other earthquakes around this line also increase the risk by transferring energy. The Yedisu Fault holds critical importance on Turkey's earthquake map due to both its strategic location and the energy it has accumulated.

WHICH PROVINCES DOES THE YEDİSU FAULT PASS THROUGH?

The Yedisu Fault extends directly between the provinces of Erzincan and Bingöl. While the fault line starts from the south of Erzincan's Üzümlü district and continues to Bingöl's Yedisu district, experts emphasize that the effects of a possible earthquake will not be limited to these two provinces. The movement of the fault also threatens nearby provinces such as Tunceli, Elazığ, Muş, Erzurum, and Diyarbakır.

Prof. Dr. Görür's warning in his speech in Bingöl that 'the Yedisu Fault is about to break' has once again brought this wide area of impact to the agenda.

The 75-kilometer length of the fault reveals a regional earthquake risk. While the Yedisu Fault has come to the agenda more frequently following the February 6 earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş, it is known that the line forms a seismic gap at the eastern end of the North Anatolian Fault.

Görür's statement that 'the 250-year period has expired' is putting not only Erzincan and Bingöl but also settlements in neighboring provinces on alert. The possibility of interaction with other active faults around the fault could further increase the destructive effects of the earthquake.

News Source: 12punto