Abstract
A shallow earthquake ofM S=6.2 occurred in the southern part of the Peloponnesus, 12 km north of the port of the city of Kalamata, which caused considerable damage. The fault plane solution of the main shock, geological data and field observations, as well as the distribution of foci of aftershocks, indicate that the seismic fault is a listric normal one trending NNE-SSW and dipping to WNW. The surface ruptures caused by the earthquake coincide with the trace of a neotectonic fault, which is located 2–3 km east of the city of Kalamata and which is related to the formation of Messiniakos gulf during the Pliocene-Quaternary tectonics. Field observations indicate that the earthquake is due to the reactivation of the same fault.
A three-days aftershock study in the area, with portable seismographs, recorded many aftershocks of which 39 withM S≥1.7 were very well located. The distribution of aftershocks forms two clusters, one near the epicenter of the main shock in the northern part of the seismogenic volume, and the other near the epicenter of the largest aftershock (M S=5.4) in the southern part of this volume. The central part of the area lacks aftershocks, which probably indicates that this is the part of the fault which slipped smoothly during the earthquake.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aki, K. (1979),Characterization of barriers on an earthquake fault. J. Geophys. Res.84, 6140–6148.
Karakaisis, G. F., Karacostas, B. G., Papadimitriou, E. E., Scordilis, E. M., andPapazachos, B. C. (1985),Seismic sequences in Greece interpreted in terms of barrier model. Nature315, (6016), 212–214.
Kelletat, D., Kowalczyk, G., Schröder, B., andWinter, K. P. (1976),A synoptic view in the neotectonic development of the Peloponnesian coastal regions, Z. dt. geol. Ge.127, 447–465.
Kiratzi, A. A., andPapazachos, B. C. (1984),Magnitude scales for earthquakes in Greece. Bull. Seism. Soc. Am.74, 969–985.
Kiratzi, A. A., andPapazachos, B. C. (1985),Local Richter magnitude and total signal duration in Greece. Annales Geophysicae3, 531–538.
Kiratzi, A., Karakaisis, G., Papadimitriou, E., andPapazachos, B. (1985),Seismic source parameter relations for earthquakes in Greece. PAGEOPH 123, 27–41.
Mariolakos, I., andPapanikolaou, D. (1981),The neogene basins of the Aegean arc from the paleogeographic and the geodynamic point of view. Proceedings of the International Symposium on the Hellenic Arc and Trench, Athens2, 383–399.
Panagiotopoulos, D. G. andPapazachos, B. C. (1985),Travel times of Pn waves in the Aegean and surrounding area, Geophys. J. R. astr. Soc.80, 165–176.
Papadimitriou, E., andPapazachos, B. C. (1985),Evidence for precursory seismicity patterns in the Ionian islands (Greece). Earthq. Predict. Res.3, 95–103.
Papazachos, B. andComninakis, P. (1980),Space and time distribution of the intermediate focal depth earthquakes in the Hellenic arc. Tectonophysics70, 35–47.
Papazachos, B. C., Kiratzi, A. A., Hatzidimitriou, P. M., andRocca, A. (1983a),Seismic faults in the Aegean area. Tectonophysics,106, 71–85.
Papazachos, B., Mountrakis, D., Dimopoulos, G., Panagiotopoulos, D., andTsapanos, T. (1983b),A study of the summer 1980 seismic sequence in the Magnesia region of Central Greece, Geophys. J. R. astr. Soc.75, 155–168.
Papazachos, B., Comninakis, P., Papadimitriou, E., andScordilis, E. (1984),Properties of the February–March 1981 seismic sequence in the Alkyonides gulf of central Greece. Annales Geophysicae5, 537–544.
Papazachos, B. C., Kiratzi, A. A., Hatzidimitriou, P. M., andKaracostas, B. G. (1986),Seismotectonic properties of the Aegean area that restrict valid geodynamic models. 2nd Wegener/Medlas Conference, Athens, May 14–16, 1986), 1–16.
Papazachos, B. C., Papadimitriou, E. E., Kiratzi, A. A., Papaioannou, Ch. A., andKarakaisis, F. F. (1986),Probabilities of occurrence of large earthquakes in the Aegean and surrounding area during the period 1986–2006. PAGEOPH 125, 597–612.
Purcaru, G. andBerckhemer, H. (1979),Patterns of occurrences of large earthquakes in the region of the Mediterranean. Intern. Symp. Earth. Prediction, UNESCO, 1979, Paris, Paper III-7, Publ. Sc/79/Conf. 802, 15pp.
Purcaru, G., andBerckhemer, H. (1982),Regularity patterns and zones of seismic potential for future large earthquakes in the Mediterranean region. Tectonophysics85, 1–30.
Richard, R. andPhilippakis, N. (1970),Geological map, Greece 1∶50,000, Sheet Kalamata (I.G.S.R.).
Rocca, A., Karakaisis, G., Karacostas, B., Kiratzi, A., Scordilis, E., andPapazachos, B. (1985),Further evidence on the strike slip faulting of the Northern Aegean trough based on properties of the August–November 1983 sequence. Boll. di Geof. Teor. ed Appl.27 (106), 101–109.
Thiebault, F. (1982),Evolution géodynamique, des Héllenides externes en Péloponnése méridional (Grece). Soc. Géol. du Nord6, 1–574.
Wyss, M. andBaer M. (1981)Seismic quiescence in the western Hellenic arc may foreshadow large earthquakes. Nature289, 785–787.
Zelilidis, A., Kontopoulos, N., andDoutsos, Th. (1986),Geological study of the Neogene and Quaternary of the SW Peloponnesos (in Greek), Greek Geological Conference, Athens 1986.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Papazachos, B., Kiratzi, A., Karacostas, B. et al. Surface fault traces, fault plane solution and spatial distribution of the aftershocks of the September 13, 1986 earthquake of Kalamata (Southern Greece). PAGEOPH 126, 55–68 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00876914
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00876914