Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Source parameters of the 27th of June 2015 Gulf of Aqaba earthquake

  • ORIGINAL ARTICLE
  • Published:
Journal of Seismology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

On the 27 June 2015, at 15:34:03 UTC, a moderate-sized earthquake of M w 5.0 occurred in the Gulf of Aqaba. Using teleseismic P waves, the focal mechanism of the mainshock was investigated by two techniques. The first technique used the polarities of the first P wave onsets, and the second technique was based on the normalized waveform modeling technique. The results showed that the extension stress has a NE orientation with a shallow southward plunge while the compression stress has a NW trend with a nearly shallow westward plunge, obtaining a strike-slip mechanism. This result agrees well with the typical consequence of crustal deformation resulting from the ongoing extensional to shear stress regime in the Gulf of Aqaba (NE-SW extension and NW-SE compression). The grid search method over a range of focal depths indicates an optimum solution at 15 ± 1 km. To identify the causative fault plane, the aftershock hypocenters were relocated using the local waveform data and the double-difference technique. Considering the fault trends, the spatial distribution of relocated aftershocks demarcated a NS-oriented causative fault, in consistence with one of the nodal planes of the focal mechanism solution, emphasizing the dominant stress regime in the region. Following the Brune model, the estimates of source parameters exhibited fault lengths of 0.29 ≤ L ≤ 2.48 km, moment magnitudes of 3.0 ≤ M w ≤ 5.0, and stress drops of 0.14 ≤ Δσ < 1.14 MPa, indicating a source scaling similar to the tectonic earthquakes related to plate boundaries.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abd el-aal AK, Badreldin H (2016) Seismological aspects of the 27 June 2015 Gulf of Aqaba earthquake and its sequence of aftershocks. J Seismol 20:935–952

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Abdel-Fattah AK, Hussein HM, Ibrahim EM, Abu El Atta AS (1997) Fault plane solutions of the 1993 and 1995 Gulf of Aqaba earthquakes and their tectonic implications. Ann Geofis XL(6):1555–1564

    Google Scholar 

  • Abdel-Fattah AK, Hussein HM, El-Hady S (2006) Another look at the 1993 Mw=6.1 and Mw=7.2 Gulf of Aqaba earthquakes from the analysis of teleseismic waveforms. J Acta Geophysica 54(3):260–279

    Google Scholar 

  • Abdel-Fattah AK, Mogren S, Almadani S (2016) Seismicity constraints on stress regimes along Sinai subplate boundaries. Stud Geoph Geod 60(2):268–279

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alamri A, Schult F, Bufe C (1991) Seismicity and aeromagnetic features of the Gulf of Aqaba region. J Geophys Res 96(B12):179–185

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ambraseys NN, Melville CP, Adams RD (1994) The seismicity of Egypt, Arabia and the Red Sea: a historical review. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Archuleta RJ, Cranswick EC, Mueller C, Spudich P (1982) Source parameters of the 1980 Mammoth Lakes, California, earthquake sequence. J Geophys Res 87:4595–4607

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bajous M, Mikbel S (1990) Tectonic evolution of the Gulf of Aqaba-Dead Sea transform fault system. Tectonophysics 180:49–59

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bayer HJ, Hotzl H, Jado AR, Roscher B, Voggenreiter W (1988) Sedimentary and structural evolution of the north-west Arabian Red Sea Margin. Tectonophysics 153:137–151

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ben-Avraham Z (1985) Structural framework of the Gulf of Elat (Aqaba), northern Red Sea. J Geophys Res 90:703–726

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ben-Avraham Z, Almagor G, Garfunkel Z (1979) Sediment and structure of the Gulf of Elat (Aqaba)-Northern Red Sea. Sediment Geol 23:239–267

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ben-Avraham Z, Garfunkel Z, Lazar M (2008) Geology and evolution of the southern Dead Sea Fault with emphasis on subsurface structure. Annu Rev Earth Planet Sci 36:357–387

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brune JN (1970) Tectonic stress and the spectra of seismic shear waves from earthquakes. J Geophys Res 75:4997–5009

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chu D, Gordon RG (1998) Current plate motions across the Red Sea. Geophys J Int 135:313–328

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crotwell PH, Owens TJ, Ritsema J (1999) The TauP toolkit: flexible seismic travel-time and ray-path utilities. Seismol Res Lett 70:154–160

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Darkal AN, Krauss M, Ruske R (1990) The Levant fault zone. An outline of its structure, evolution and regional relationship. Z Geol Wiss Berlin 18:549–562

    Google Scholar 

  • El-Fiky G (2005) GPS-derived velocity and crustal strain field in the Suez-Sinai area, Egypt. Bull Earthq Res Inst Univ Tokyo 80:73–86

    Google Scholar 

  • El-Isa ZH (2013) Seismicity and seismotectonics of the Gulf of Aqaba region. Arab J Geosci 6:3437–3449

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • El-Isa Z, Merghelani H, Bazzari M (1984) The Gulf of Aqaba earthquake swarm of 1983 January-April. Geophys J Int 78:711–722

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Freund R, Garfunkel Z, Zak I, Goldberg M, Weissbrod T (1970) The shear along the Dead Sea rift. Phil Trans R Soc Lond A: Math Phys Sci 267:105–127

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garfunkel Z (1981) Internal structure of the Dead Sea leaky transform (rift) in relation to plate kinematics. Tectonophysics 80:81–108

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garson MS, Krs M (1976) Geophysical and geological evidence of the relationship of Red Sea transverse tectonics to ancient fractures. Bull Geol Soc Am 87:169–181

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Girdler RW (1966) In: The role of translational and rotational movement in the formation of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden: Proceed. Sym. World Rift Systems, Ottawa 1965. Geol Sur Canada Paper, pp. 65E77:66–14

  • Herrmann RB, Ammon CJ (2004) Computer programs in seismology. Manual of the Generic Seismic Application Coding (GSAC), Version 3.30. Saint Louis University

  • Hofstetter A (2003) Seismic observations of the 22/11/2015 Gulf of Aqaba earthquake sequence. Tectonophysics 369(1–2):21–36

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hofstetter R, Thio KK, Shamir G (2003) Source mechanism of the 22/11/95 Gulf of Aqaba Earthquake and its aftershock sequence. J Seismol 7:99–114

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hofstetter R, Klinger Y, Amrat A, Rivera L, Dorbath L (2007) Stress tensor and focal mechanisms along the Dead Sea fault and related structural elements based on seismological data. Tectonophysics 429:165–181

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hudson JA (1969) A quantitative evaluation of seismic signals at teleseismic distances-I radiation from point sources. Geophys J Int 18(3):233–249

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hussein HM, Abou Elenean KM, Marzouk IA, Korrat IM, Abu El-Nader IF, Ghazala H, ElGabry MN (2013) Present-day tectonic stress regime in Egypt and surrounding area based on inversion of earthquake focal mechanisms. J Afr Earth Sci 81:1–15

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kennett BLN, Engdahl ER, Buland R (1995) Constraints on seismic velocities in the Earth from traveltimes. Geophys J Int 122:108–124

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klinger Y, Rivera L, Haessler H, Maurin J (1999) Active faulting in the Gulf of Aqaba: new knowledge from the Mw 7.3 earthquake of 22 November 1995. Bull Seismol Soc Am 89:1025–1036

    Google Scholar 

  • Klinger Y, Michel R, Avouac J-P (2000) Co-seismic deformation during the Mw 7.3 Aqaba earthquake (1995) from ERS-SAR interferometry. Geophys Res Lett 72:3651–3654

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lunina OV, Mart Y, Gladkov AS (2005) Fracturing patterns, stress fields and earthquakes in the Southern Dead Sea rift. J Geodyn 40:216–234

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lyberis N (1988) Tectonic evolution of the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba. Tectonophysics 153:209–220

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mahmoud S, Reilinger R, McClusky S, Vernant P, Tealeb A (2005) GPS evidence for northward motion of the Sinai block: implications for E. Mediterranean tectonics. Earth Planet Sci Lett 238:217–227

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mohamed AA, El-Hadidy M, Deif A, Abou Elenean K (2012) Seismic hazard studies in Egypt. NRIAG J Astro and Geophys 1(2):119–140

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pinar A, Turkelli N (1997) Source inversion of the 1993 and 1995 Gulf of Aqaba earthquakes. Tectonophysics 293:279–288

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reilinger RE, Mcclusky SC, Vernant P, Lawrence S, Ergintav S, Çakmak R, Nadariya M, Hahubia G, Mahmoud S, Sakr K, Arrajehi A, Paradissis D, Al-Aydrus A, Prilepin M, Guseva T, Evren E, Dmitritsa A, Filikov SV, Gomes F, Al-Ghazzi R, Karam G (2006) GPS constraints on continental deformation in the Africa-Arabia-Eurasia continental collision zone and implications for the dynamics of plate interactions. J Geophys Res 111:B5. doi:10.1029/2005JB004051

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rodgers A, Walter W, Mellors R, Alamri A, Zhang Y (1999) Lithospheric structure of the Arabian Shield and Platform from complete regional waveform modelling and surface wave group velocities. Geophys J Int 138:871–878

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salamon A, Hofstetter A, Garfunkel Z, Ron H (2003) Seismotectonics of the Sinai subplate-the eastern Mediterranean. Geophys J Int 155:149–173

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scholz CH (1990) The mechanics of earthquakes and faulting. Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge 439 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Shamir G, Baer G, Hofstetter A (2003) Three-dimensional elastic earthquake modeling based on integrated seismological and InSAR data the Mw=7.2 Nuweiba earthquake, Gulf of Elat/Aqaba, 1995 November. Geophys J Int 154:731–744

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shapira A, Hofstetter H (1993) Source parameters and scaling relationships of earthquakes in Israel. Tectonophysics 217:217–226

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Waldhauser F (2001) HypoDD—a program to compute double-difference hypocenter locations, U.S. Geological Survey, Open File Report 01–113

  • Wessel P, Smith W (1991) Free software helps maps and display data. EOS Trans Am Geophys Union 72:441

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by King Saud University, Deanship of Scientific Research, College of Science Research Centre. The author would like to thank the two anonymous reviewers for their critical reviews and comments that improved the manuscript. Generic Mapping Tools developed by Wessel and Smith (1991) was used for data mapping.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geology and Geophysics, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia

    Sattam Almadani

Authors
  1. Sattam Almadani
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sattam Almadani.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Almadani, S. Source parameters of the 27th of June 2015 Gulf of Aqaba earthquake. J Seismol 21, 1055–1066 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10950-017-9651-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10950-017-9651-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation