A New Approach to Identifying Tectonic Micro-Blocks in Western Anatolia, Türkiye

In this study, micro-block studies were performed in Western Anatolia, comprising the west of the Anatolian Plate and notable for complex tectonic structure, using horizontal velocity and location data for 402 GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) sites. Horizontal velocity values were obtained by processing GNSS measurements with the GAMIT/GLOBK software team. In the study, K-means cluster analysis was used, a commonly used cluster analysis algorithm. The elbow method was used with the aim of determining the most appropriate cluster number for K-means cluster analysis. Then the checkerboard test, one of the synthetic data tests, was applied for sites in the study region. The K-means analysis resulted in 14 data-driven GNSS velocity clusters. Following tectonic interpretation of these clusters, including the Marmara region, 15 micro-blocks were defined. Considering residual velocities together with geological and tectonic constraints, an integrated 18-micro-block interpretation is proposed for Western Anatolia.