Source rupture process of the March 18th, 2021, Mw6.0 Béjaia (Algeria) earthquake associated with the Western segment – A link with the August 1856 Djidjelli earthquakes (Io = VIII-IX, M ≥ 6)
{"title":"Source rupture process of the March 18th, 2021, Mw6.0 Béjaia (Algeria) earthquake associated with the Western segment – A link with the August 1856 Djidjelli earthquakes (Io = VIII-IX, M ≥ 6)","authors":"Amar Benfedda , Khadidja Abbes , Abdelhakim Ayadi , Said Maouche , Youcef Bouhadad , Mohamed Salah Boughacha , Mourad Bezzeghoud","doi":"10.1016/j.pepi.2023.107115","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>A strong offshore earthquake (M<sub>w</sub>6.0) struck Béjaia city (eastern Algeria) on March 18th, 2021. This earthquake was followed by several aftershocks among the M<sub>w</sub>5.2 that occurred 13 min after the main shock. Moreover, another earthquake (M<sub>w</sub>5.0) occurred in the same zone one year later on March 19th, 2022. Near-field digital accelerograph records were used to study the earthquake and its related aftershocks. First, the March 2021 (M<sub>w</sub>6.0) main shock, six of its main aftershocks, and the March 19th, 2022 (M<sub>w</sub>5.0) earthquake were located. These epicentres are distributed in a 10 km-long and 2 to 3 km-wide NE–SW-trending area, with depths ranging between 8 km and 14 km. Second, using waveform inversion, the seismic moment and the focal mechanism of the three events (the March 18th, 2021, main shock and its strongest aftershock (M<sub>w</sub>5.2) that occurred 13 min after the main shock and the March 19th, 2022 (M<sub>w</sub>5.0) earthquake) were determined. These focal mechanisms exhibit reverse faulting with a short lateral component. Third, the source rupture process of the March 18th, 2021 (M<sub>w</sub>6.0), earthquake was calculated from waveform inversion to obtain the moment–release distribution on a finite fault. The nodal plane oriented N74E seems to be associated with the activated fault plane. Considering the seismotectonic framework of the region, the fault that activated during the 2021 earthquake sequence is offshore. This fault, called the Western Segment, which is situated in the western part of the reverse fault system, is also at the origin of the Djidjelli historical earthquakes of August 21st, and 22nd, 1856 (Io = VIII-IX, M ≥ 6.6).</p></div>","PeriodicalId":54614,"journal":{"name":"Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors","volume":"345 ","pages":"Article 107115"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4000,"publicationDate":"2023-10-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031920123001413/pdfft?md5=8e7576a8ae2f781c3be50b50b7ec6705&pid=1-s2.0-S0031920123001413-main.pdf","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors","FirstCategoryId":"89","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031920123001413","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"GEOCHEMISTRY & GEOPHYSICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
A strong offshore earthquake (Mw6.0) struck Béjaia city (eastern Algeria) on March 18th, 2021. This earthquake was followed by several aftershocks among the Mw5.2 that occurred 13 min after the main shock. Moreover, another earthquake (Mw5.0) occurred in the same zone one year later on March 19th, 2022. Near-field digital accelerograph records were used to study the earthquake and its related aftershocks. First, the March 2021 (Mw6.0) main shock, six of its main aftershocks, and the March 19th, 2022 (Mw5.0) earthquake were located. These epicentres are distributed in a 10 km-long and 2 to 3 km-wide NE–SW-trending area, with depths ranging between 8 km and 14 km. Second, using waveform inversion, the seismic moment and the focal mechanism of the three events (the March 18th, 2021, main shock and its strongest aftershock (Mw5.2) that occurred 13 min after the main shock and the March 19th, 2022 (Mw5.0) earthquake) were determined. These focal mechanisms exhibit reverse faulting with a short lateral component. Third, the source rupture process of the March 18th, 2021 (Mw6.0), earthquake was calculated from waveform inversion to obtain the moment–release distribution on a finite fault. The nodal plane oriented N74E seems to be associated with the activated fault plane. Considering the seismotectonic framework of the region, the fault that activated during the 2021 earthquake sequence is offshore. This fault, called the Western Segment, which is situated in the western part of the reverse fault system, is also at the origin of the Djidjelli historical earthquakes of August 21st, and 22nd, 1856 (Io = VIII-IX, M ≥ 6.6).
期刊介绍:
Launched in 1968 to fill the need for an international journal in the field of planetary physics, geodesy and geophysics, Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors has now grown to become important reading matter for all geophysicists. It is the only journal to be entirely devoted to the physical and chemical processes of planetary interiors.
Original research papers, review articles, short communications and book reviews are all published on a regular basis; and from time to time special issues of the journal are devoted to the publication of the proceedings of symposia and congresses which the editors feel will be of particular interest to the reader.