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Occurrence and impact of characteristic earthquakes in northern Algeria

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Abstract

Earthquakes constitute the natural hazard that is one of the main natural threats to the northern part of Algeria because of its geographical setting at the Eurasia–Africa plate boundary. Several active multi-segment reverse faults have been identified near urban areas that may rupture during characteristic earthquakes and produce earthquakes of magnitudes ≥7.0. Characteristic earthquakes are extreme seismic events characterized by long return periods, which can have great societal impact. Earthquakes in northern Algeria are destructive for two main reasons: firstly, the shallow character of the faults and secondly, the vulnerability of the building stock built essentially prior to the implementation of seismic design codes that take into account the level of the seismic hazard. That is why even moderate earthquakes are disastrous in this area.

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Acknowledgments

The author is grateful to three anonymous reviewers and to the editor prof. H. P. Plag for the critical comments that allowed improving the manuscript. I thank also Prof. Benouar from University of Algiers (USTHB) for his valuable suggestions. This work is supported by the Centre National de Recherché Appliquée en Génie Parasismique (CGS) and DGRSDT (PNR programme 2010–2012).

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  1. Centre National de Recherche Appliquée en Génie Parasismique (CGS), Rue Kadour Rahim, H. Dey, BP 252, Algiers, Algeria

    Youcef Bouhadad

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Bouhadad, Y. Occurrence and impact of characteristic earthquakes in northern Algeria. Nat Hazards 72, 1329–1339 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-013-0704-0

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