Ancient lava flows reveal how Türkiye’s Tuz Gölü fault slowly pulling apart

Researchers at Curtin University have uncovered new evidence of how continents slowly tear apart by studying ancient lava flows fractured along Türkiye's Tuz Gölü Fault.

The fault, which stretches over 200 kilometres and is visible from space, was previously thought to be a strike-slip fault where land slides sideways. However, the study shows it is actually an extensional fault, meaning the land on either side is moving away from each other at a rate of about one millimetre per year, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Lead author Professor Axel Schmitt explained that this discovery not only clarifies how the fault moves but also helps refine seismic risk assessments and global models of continental deformation.

The team reconstructed lava flows from Hasandağ volcano that had flowed across the fault and later fractured. Using advanced techniques—including helium dating of zircon crystals and remote sensing—researchers were able to determine the exact age of the lava flows and measure how far the land had shifted over thousands of years.

Associate Professor Martin Danišík said zircon crystals acted as natural geological timekeepers, recording when the lava erupted, cooled, and fractured. Remote sensing expert Janet Harvey added that studying slow-moving faults like Tuz Gölü is vital, as their movements are not captured by modern seismic records.

The fault sits at a strategic junction of the Eurasian, Arabian, and African plates, providing valuable insights into how strain is distributed when continents collide—a phenomenon that can inform understanding of other continental deformation zones along the Alpine-Himalayan mountain belt.

By Vugar Khalilov