The M w 5.0 Hammam Melouane Earthquake (North Central Algeria) of 17 July 2013 in the Context of the Tellian Atlas Seismicity

Abstract

On 17 July 2013 (03:00 GMT) a new moderate earthquake of magnitude 5.0 happened in the Tell belts of northern Algeria, more precisely near the village of Hammam Melouane (Algeria), 30 km south of Algiers, the Capital of Algeria. The main shock parameters and aftershocks activity analysis, reveal that the earthquake occurred on a 5 km long dextral strike-slip fault oriented N114°E, a conjugate strike-slip fault of the major NE–SW reverse fault system of the neogene Mitidja basin. This event caused damage to houses and social infrastructures but no fatalities were reported. Onland the earthquake triggered rock falls and minor landslides along the Hammam Melouane river. The occurrence of the Hammam Melouane in the northern limit of the Tell belts is representative of the African-Eurasiatic interplate seismicity of northern Algeria where major seismic events could occurred as the previous Boumerdes event of May 21st, 2003 (M w 6.8).