Research Article

Anomaly detection of earthquakes with Benford’s law and extreme value approach

Volume: 28 Number: 1 January 12, 2026
TR EN

Anomaly detection of earthquakes with Benford’s law and extreme value approach

Abstract

Türkiye is located on active fault lines where significant tectonic movements occur regularly leading to earthquakes. Western Anatolia, being in the North Anatolian Fault Zone, has a higher earthquake risk. This study focuses on detecting anomalies in earthquake magnitudes in Türkiye, spanning the years 1970 to 2021. The analysis utilizes Benford's Law and the Generalized Extreme Value distribution within the Block Maxima framework to examine the conformity of earthquake magnitude data and identify potential anomalies. This study is one of the first to apply these methods specifically to the Aegean Region, providing new insights into the seismic risk in this tectonically active region. The dataset, comprising 15845 seismic events with magnitudes of 3.0 and above, was evaluated using both statistical methods. Benford's Law indicated that the data conforms to natural patterns, with statistical tests confirming the expected distribution of first digits in the magnitude data. The Generalized Extreme Value distribution, applied through the Block Maxima approach, revealed that the expected magnitude of extreme events increases with longer return periods, with return levels estimated at 4.77 Mw for 2 years, 5.81 Mw for 20 years, and 6.36 Mw for 100 years. These findings highlight the importance of using these statistical methods to assess seismic risks and identify potential anomalies in earthquake data.

Keywords

Project Number

124F059

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Statistical Analysis, Applied Statistics

Journal Section

Research Article

Early Pub Date

January 12, 2026

Publication Date

January 12, 2026

Submission Date

May 9, 2025

Acceptance Date

September 30, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 28 Number: 1

APA
Ünal, C., & Özel Kadılar, G. (2026). Anomaly detection of earthquakes with Benford’s law and extreme value approach. Balıkesir Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü Dergisi, 28(1), 171-190. https://doi.org/10.25092/baunfbed.1695930
AMA
1.Ünal C, Özel Kadılar G. Anomaly detection of earthquakes with Benford’s law and extreme value approach. Balıkesir Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü Dergisi. 2026;28(1):171-190. doi:10.25092/baunfbed.1695930
Chicago
Ünal, Ceren, and Gamze Özel Kadılar. 2026. “Anomaly Detection of Earthquakes With Benford’s Law and Extreme Value Approach”. Balıkesir Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü Dergisi 28 (1): 171-90. https://doi.org/10.25092/baunfbed.1695930.
EndNote
Ünal C, Özel Kadılar G (January 1, 2026) Anomaly detection of earthquakes with Benford’s law and extreme value approach. Balıkesir Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü Dergisi 28 1 171–190.
IEEE
[1]C. Ünal and G. Özel Kadılar, “Anomaly detection of earthquakes with Benford’s law and extreme value approach”, Balıkesir Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü Dergisi, vol. 28, no. 1, pp. 171–190, Jan. 2026, doi: 10.25092/baunfbed.1695930.
ISNAD
Ünal, Ceren - Özel Kadılar, Gamze. “Anomaly Detection of Earthquakes With Benford’s Law and Extreme Value Approach”. Balıkesir Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü Dergisi 28/1 (January 1, 2026): 171-190. https://doi.org/10.25092/baunfbed.1695930.
JAMA
1.Ünal C, Özel Kadılar G. Anomaly detection of earthquakes with Benford’s law and extreme value approach. Balıkesir Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü Dergisi. 2026;28:171–190.
MLA
Ünal, Ceren, and Gamze Özel Kadılar. “Anomaly Detection of Earthquakes With Benford’s Law and Extreme Value Approach”. Balıkesir Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü Dergisi, vol. 28, no. 1, Jan. 2026, pp. 171-90, doi:10.25092/baunfbed.1695930.
Vancouver
1.Ceren Ünal, Gamze Özel Kadılar. Anomaly detection of earthquakes with Benford’s law and extreme value approach. Balıkesir Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü Dergisi. 2026 Jan. 1;28(1):171-90. doi:10.25092/baunfbed.1695930