Shear-strain rates across the East Anatolian Fault (EAF) response to the 2020 Mw6.8 Elazig, and 2023 Mw7.8/Mw7.6 Kahramanmaras earthquake sequence

Shallow creep, as a widespread phenomenon in the earthquake cycle, plays an important role in understanding the behavior of faults and seismic hazards. However, it is still under debate whether creeping is an inherent behavior of fault or is a form of afterslip following large earthquakes. The East Anatolian Fault was recently ruptured by the 2020 Mw6.8 Elazig, and 2023 Mw7.8/Mw7.6 Kahramanmaras earthquake sequence, providing a unique opportunity to investigate the relation between shallow creep and earthquakes along strike-slip fault. Here, we show the spatial distribution and temporal evolution of creeping segments along the EAF using the InSAR phase-gradient stacking method. We derive the shear-strain rates in three periods – before the 2020 earthquake, between the 2020 and 2023 earthquakes, and after the 2023 earthquake sequence. By comparing the spatial distribution of the interseismic strain rates, the coseismic slip, and the post-seismic strain rates, we document a tight connection between creeping and coseismic slip on the two recent earthquakes. We also investigate the temporal behavior of faults following the two earthquakes using time-series shear strain analysis. The results reveal behaviors of shallow creep on different segments of the EAF with different statuses before the earthquakes. Our results shed new light on understanding the mechanism of creeping and its relation with large earthquakes during the earthquake cycle.