28.03.2026 10:43
A striking scientific result has emerged regarding the Tuz Gölü fault in Central Anatolia. According to an international study led by Dr. Gülin Gençoğlu Korkmaz from Konya Technical University, it has been determined that the fault moves vertically by 1.3 millimeters per year and that the region is expanding in the east-west direction.
Dr. Gülin Gençoğlu Korkmaz, a faculty member of the Department of Geological Engineering at Konya Technical University, revealed through a TÜBİTAK study that the Tuz Lake fault moves vertically by 1.3 millimeters per year and facilitates the east-west expansion of Central Anatolia.
Dr. Gülin Gençoğlu Korkmaz stated that it has been determined that the Tuz Lake fault is a normal fault and that it expands Central Anatolia in the east-west direction by moving vertically by 1.3 millimeters per year.
"WE PROVED IT IS A NORMAL FAULT AND THERE IS A 1.3 MM DROP PER YEAR" Korkmaz said, "There were some discrepancies in the literature regarding the study. There were some differences of opinion. There were studies by our professors stating that it is a normal fault and a strike-slip fault. Each study had determined the movement speed differently. Therefore, we conducted this study to better define this fault, to accurately determine its geometry and speed. Additionally, another important reason for choosing this region is its proximity to 'Hasandağı Volcano.' Hasandağı is an active volcano, and with our studies, we are following the research worldwide and observing that where there is an active volcano and an active fault, they can trigger and affect each other. There can be larger earthquakes and greater dangers. They can increase each other's speed and pressure, and increase the stress applied to them. Therefore, we needed to study this region. For the first time, by applying the 'zircon double dating' technique, we proved that this fault is actually a normal fault and that there is a vertical drop of approximately 1.3 millimeters per year. With this study, we can say that there is an east-west expansion," he stated.
"THE STUDY CAN BE APPLIED TO THE NORTH ANATOLIA AND EAST ANATOLIA FAULTS" Emphasizing the importance of the zircon double dating method, Dr. Korkmaz said:
"We used a highly technological, very new, and widely used successful technique for the first time to determine the fault geometry on fault surfaces, with both uranium-lead and uranium-thorium-helium dating, by simultaneously determining their crystallization and eruption ages. We believe that it will continue to demonstrate its success in future studies. This study can be conducted in active regions such as the North Anatolia fault, the East Anatolia fault, and other active fault zones around the world. This method is a dating method that controls each other. It is a precise, accurate, and high-tech method. It is important because it is a study conducted with this method."