China news agency,Wuhan,January 19(Ma Furong,Wang Junfang,Jiao Siqin)Scientific researchers from China,the United States,Türkiye and other countries jointly completed high-precision surface rupture records after the Türkiye earthquake,and found that the maximum surface displacement in the earthquake may not appear at the epicenter.The relevant research results were published in Science on January 19th Beijing time.
  The first author of the paper is Meng Jiannan,a doctoral student from the School of Earth Sciences at China University of Geosciences(Wuhan),and Timothy Kusky,a professor at the Badong Geological Hazards National Field Science Observation and Research Station in Hubei Province.The co corresponding authors are Tim Kusky and Walter Mooney,an expert from the United States Geological Survey.
  On February 6,2023 local time,a strong earthquake occurred in Türkiye.On the tenth day after the earthquake,Meng Jiannan arrived at the earthquake area and carried out post earthquake geological survey together with experts from the Middle East University of Technology in Türkiye.
  During a one month on-site inspection,Meng Jiannan and others systematically measured the surface displacement of the Dead Sea Fault and the East Anatolia Fault caused by the earthquake,and selected representative areas to perform centimeter level digital mapping of the surface fractures caused by the earthquake,completing high-precision post earthquake surface records.
  According to research,the maximum measured surface displacement in the entire earthquake area is 6.7 meters,located at the intersection of the Narle section of the Dead Sea Fault and the East Anatolia Fault.This location is 47.5 kilometers away from the epicenter,and there is no significant surface rupture at the epicenter,which is different from the previously widely believed view that the epicenter is the location of the greatest surface damage.
  The team further revealed the transmission mechanism of fracture process and deformation characteristics between fault systems in the seismic area,that is,the maximum displacement on the surface is precisely located at the intersection of faults,and the fracture continues to propagate along the East Anatolian Fault through the intersection,triggering new large-scale seismic activity.This challenges the traditional view that"the intersection of faults usually limits the transmission of fractures.".
  Meng Jiannan stated that the research results recorded the rupture characteristics of the surface after the earthquake,clearly demonstrating its propagation patterns in different fault systems,revealing the response of multiple transitional plate boundaries to plate migration,and the specific process of forming catastrophic earthquake events.This provides important reference for further studying the direct impact of earthquake events on human society.