Global Positioning System Constraints on the Plate Kinematics and Dynamics in Turkish Region

The Anatolian plate is de-coupled from Eurasia along the right-lateral, strike-slip North Anatolia fault (NAF). We derive a best fitting Euler vector for Anatolia-Eurasia motion of 30.7 +- .8N, 32.6 +- 1.2E, 1.2+- .1/Myr. The Euler vector gives an upper bound for NAF slip rate of 24 +- 1 mm/yr.

We determine a preliminary GPS Arabia-Anatolia Euler vector of 32.9 +- 1.2N, 40.3 +- 1.1E, .8 +- .2 /Myr and an upper bound on left-lateral slip on the East Anatolian fault (EAF) of 9 +- 1 mm/yr. The central and southern Aegean is characterized by coherent motion (internal deformation of <2 mm/yr) toward the SW at 30 +- 1 mm/yr relative to Eurasia. Stations in the SE Aegean deviate significantly from the overall motion of the southern Aegean, showing increasing velocities toward the trench and reaching 10 +- 1 mm/yr relative to the southern Aegean as a whole.