Recent seismicity of the East African rift system and its implications

Abstract

Abstract The seismicity of the East African Rift system and southern Red Sea is studied here. Location of earthquake epicenters in East Africa shows that there is a seismicity gap in space and time between the Main Ethiopian Rift system and the eastern rift. However, distribution of earthquake epicenters together with the energy mapping suggest a continuity of seismic activity or stress field from the Main Ethiopian Rift system to the western rift system via the southernmost rifts of Ethiopia. In general (except for some earthquakes which occurred at different complex tectonics regions) mechanisms of earthquakes studied here show dominantly normal faulting suggesting that the rift system is an extensional zone on the continent. The presence of greater focal depth earthquakes to the southern part of the rift system may indicate that softer materials at a shallower depth are present in Afar and neighboring regions than in the remaining part of the East African Rift system. This interpretation is supported by other geophysical studies (low electrical resistivity and gravity data) performed in Afar. It is also supported by low and high stress drops found for the northern part (Afar depression) and southern part of the East African Rift system, respectively.