Abstract
The seismicity of the Arabian plate, which is the aim of this paper, is controlled by the ZagrosTaurus collision zone in the North, the Indian expansion zone and the Arab golf in the South and the East, the Dead Sea Fault, the North continuity of the Red Sea, and the Syrian rift, which links the rigid Arabian plate to the mobile ophiolite belt of Cyprus-Southern Turkey in the West. These major elements with their related fracture system, make the Arabian plate an important seismic centre. To attain our purpose, a variable methodology is used in: measurements of movement rate-displacement in the field, the analysis of historical and recent seismic data, and physical effects on the structures. The movement rate-displacement, calculated in the field by different specialists, varies from 2 to 6 mm/year. This rate increases from 2 - 3 mm/year in the North, to 6 mm in the South. These estimations are confirmed by historical seismic data, the recent seismic recorded by the Arab seismic centers, and physical effects on the building structures in the region. The analysis of historical and recent seismic data recorded in the seismic centre show that the seismicity in this plate, tend to fade out with time. This result is in agreement with recent estimations on the movement rate, and in line with the decrease of major seismic intensity, which has occurred during the last millennium. A conclusion of time-evolution seismicity is traced, and a seismic zoning map, for the Arabian plate, using movement rate, seismic data, and tectono-geodynamic analysis, is proposed.
Highlights
The European and African continents are crossed by several N-S-trending rifts, all together forming major structural features of the whole Earth: From North to South, firstly the Oslo Permian rift (Norway), is continued by the Neogene fracture system of Central-Southern Germany (Eifel, Rhine Graben), the rift system of French massif Central and Rhone valley, ending with the great Africa rift, which is the major structure of the Arab plate
- Transform borders: the senester faults of the Levant (Arabia-Nubia), and the Dexter faults of Owen (ArabiaIndia), in the West and the East [12]. This plate is marked by the Syrian rift structure, named the Levant fault, corresponding to the northern part of the Dead Sea fault zone (DSFZ), and in continuity with the Red Sea rift zone [13]
Using data obtained on the movement rate displacement, by deferments sources [16,21,28,29], the seismotectonic parameters [6,12,13,26], the historical and recent seismic data recorded by the seismic centers [12,23, 24,26], and the extrapolation of the assessment seismic risk of the northern part of the Arabian plate, established by Bilal (2009a) [16], a seismic zoning map for the Arabian plate is proposed (Figure 5)
Summary
The European and African continents are crossed by several N-S-trending rifts, all together forming major structural features of the whole Earth: From North to South, firstly the Oslo Permian rift (Norway), is continued by the Neogene fracture system of Central-Southern Germany (Eifel, Rhine Graben), the rift system of French massif Central and Rhone valley, ending with the great Africa rift, which is the major structure of the Arab plate These major crustal fractures, extending down in the underlying mantle, have been active at different times, repeatedly keeping the same approximate N-S direction [1]. The assessment and time-evolution of seismicity, in this plate, are the subject of this research
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