First Result of the Seismic Monitoring of Mecsek Mountains

Abstract

The Geological and Geophysical Institute of Hungary deployed a continuously operating seismic monitoring network in the Mecsek Mountains in August 2004. The main aim was to monitor the neotectonic activity and geodynamic processes in the western Mecsek Mountains and particularly in the Boda Siltstone Formation which is the possible target of the high activity nuclear waste deposit. The primary aim of the study was the detection of small and very small magnitude seismic signals. 31 stations were deployed within a circle with radius of about 50km in the Mecsek Mountains, around the village of Boda. The stations in the network are self-developed with big memory capacity and continuous GPS synchronised time, small size and low energy. We determined 176 earthquakes with magnitude between 2.8 and -0.8 from August 2004 to 31 December 2013. According to our observations microseismic events are frequent in some specific geologic-tectonic territory: Events linked with Mecsekalja-zone follow its WSW-ENE strike. Earthquakes along the Drava River, in the distance of approx. 20 km from the study area. Earthquakes in the area of Kővagoszőlős-Bakonya-Boda, which may be linked with earlier mining activity. We marked several smaller sources where we determined 5-10 earthquakes.