Recent Earthquake Activities and Seismic Sources in Northwestern Türkiye

Northwestern Türkiye (Biga Peninsula, Edremit Gulf, Saros Bay) is a highly seismically active region at the convergence of the Anatolian, Eurasian, and Aegean tectonic plates. It features numerous active faults, including the Yenice–Gönen and Edremit fault zones, in addition to offshore segments of the North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ) in Saros Bay. Earthquakes here exhibit various mechanisms: the 2017 Ayvacik earthquake sequence (Mw 5.4) near the Tuzla Fault featured NE–SW normal faulting, reflecting regional extension. Other moderate events display strike–slips with minor normal components, indicating transtensional forces. These findings enhance our understanding of the area’s complex seismotectonic activity and stress the critical need for continuous seismic monitoring and hazard assessment in this geologically complex and densely populated part of Türkiye.