Abstract
<p>In this study, we applied the environmental seismic intensity (ESI-2007) scale to a major recent Algerian earthquake. The ESI-2007 scale is an effective tool to assess the seismic hazard and has been applied to onshore earthquakes. Here we applied the scale to a recent earthquake (Mw 6.8, 2003) that took place offshore in the province of Boumerdès in the north of Algeria along the boundary between African and Eurasian plates. The main shock was associated to an unknown submarine structure. No surface ruptures were observed on the onshore domain, but many earthquake environmental effects (EEEs) were reported during several field investigations. In addition to onshore ground effects, this event triggered turbidity currents responsible for 29 submarine cable breaks. Mapping and describing coseismic ground effects allowed us to distinguish primary and secondary effects like coastal uplifts, liquefaction phenomena, tsunami waves, turbidity currents, cracks, rock falls, slope movements and hydrological anomalies. Considering the total area affected and the distribution of ground effects, we suggest intensity X that appears in agreement with intensity calculated in previous study with the EMS-98 scale. Thus, this method is validated even in the case of a coastal earthquake, and could be applied in the future to Algerian historical earthquakes that have affected scarcely inhabited zones but where EEEs were listed and located.</p>
Highlights
Earthquake environmental effects (EEEs) are any effects produced by a seismic event on the natural environment [Michetti et al 2007]
It is largely demonstrated by studies on historical or modern earthquakes that the ESI-2007 scale allows more objectivity in assessing macroseismic intensities [Michetti et al 2004, Serva et al 2007, Papanikolaou et al 2009], whereas traditional intensity scales are influenced by human parameters such as man-made and economic development
We propose to introduce the environmental seismic intensity (ESI-2007) scale as a new tool to assess seismic hazard in Algeria and we chose to apply it to the Boumerdès, May 2003 (Mw 6.8) earthquake
Summary
Earthquake environmental effects (EEEs) are any effects produced by a seismic event on the natural environment [Michetti et al 2007] They are generally integrated in traditional intensity scales to some extent; damages affecting man-made structures are mostly used to assess macroseismic intensities. Our study aims to assess the macroseismic intensity with the ESI-2007 scale combining the onshore and offshore data that have been scarcely considered in the EMS-98 scale, and to compare the results with those obtained in a previous study [Harbi et al 2007b] in order to validate the method despite difficulties This earthquake occurred in a highly urbanized area where observation and mapping of ground effects have been difficult to carry out.
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