Vlora-Elbasani-Dibra (Albania) transversal fault zone and its seismic activity

Abstract

The transversal fault zone Vlora-Elbasan-Dibra (VED)with Northeastern strike dislocated the structure ofAlbanides along all their width. This transversalfault is distinguished by the flexure of Lushnja, thediapire dome of Dumrea, the transversal Quaternarydepression of Elbasani, the belt of transversalstructure of Labinoti, and then it continues towardsNortheast with transversal horst of Golloborda andgoes toward FYROM in NE direction. In the Southwesternpart of this transversal fault, near Fieri town, themolasse subsided toward North. The structures ofIonian and Kruja zone, near this transversal fault,also subsided and uplifted more toward North. Throughmarine investigation a transversal fault with ENEstrike direction was discovered near the Northern partof Sazani Island (Aliaj et al., 1996). We think itmay belong to the big transversal fault zone VED.The transversal fault zone VED is clearlyoutlined by the location of strong and weakearthquakes, migration of foci along this fault, themacroseismic field and focal mechanisms. Generally,along this transversal fault it is the transtensionalstrike-slip dextral motion that dominates.In our studies the transversal fault zoneVlora-Elbasani-Dibra was considered to be the mostpotential transversal seismogenetic belt in Albaniaand nearby. It has played, and is still playing,an important role in seismotectonics in Albania andits surrounding regions.