An Investigation into the Liquefaction Phenomena in the Iskenderun Bay Following the February 6 Kahramanmaraş Earthquake

This study investigates the liquefaction phenomena in the İskenderun Bay by revisiting the site that was liquefied during the first major strike of the Kahramanmaraş earthquake events on February 6th, 2023 (with a moment magnitude of 7.7). Firstly, the recorded input motions around the site are described. Accordingly, the soil profiles at the site are illustrated, along with the measured Standard Penetration Test (SPT) values. Later, the liquefaction analyses are conducted using a simplified method. Additionally, the two soil profiles are modelled and simulated under one of the recorded input motions at the site. Both analytical and numerical results clearly illustrate a high level of liquefaction possibility, with safety factors well below the threshold value of 1, particularly at the granular soil layers. Moreover, the generation of excess pore water pressure appears to increase as it moves through the ground surface within the sandy and silty soil layers. This implicitly indicates the liquefaction susceptibility of granular soil layers at the top 20 m of the site. It also highlights the effectiveness of the simplified and numerical approaches in predicting liquefaction.