Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Development of earthquake-induced fissures in the Main Ethiopian Rift

  • Letter
  • Published:

From Nature

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Abstract

A series of episodes involving land subsidence along an elongated formation of pits connected by fissures have been observed in various parts of the Main Ethiopian Rift1–4 over the past 25 yr. Although other workers1 have proposed a possible relationship between tectonics, subsurface drainage and subsidence no field observations have related earthquakes to such development of fissures. I present here the first observation of the development of fissures following an earthquake swarm with local magnitude, ML⩽4 in the Main Ethiopian Rift north of the Fentale Mountain (Fig. 1) between January and March 1981 (ref. 5). This showed that there could be a variety of developments in the evolution of earthquake-induced fissures depending on geological formation, vegetation cover and drainage; the implication on similar earlier observations is considered.

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

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Gouin, P. & Mohr, P. Bull. geophys. Obs. 10, 39–46 (1967).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Smithsonian Instn CFSLP Event Card No. 1019 (1970).

  3. Smithsonian Instn. CFSLP Event Card No. 1231 (1971).

  4. Williams, M. A. J. Sinet Ethiop. J. Sci. 3, 2 (1981).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Laike, M. A. Proc. Conf. Earthquake Swarm (ECA in the press).

  6. Tarantola, A. et al. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 45, 435–444 (1979).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. Mohr, P. et al. Tectonophysics 44, 141–160 (1978).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. Varet, J. & Gasse, F. Geology of Central and Southern Afar (CNRS, Paris, 1978).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Harrison, C. G. A. et al. in Afar Depression of Ethiopia 178–198 (Schweizerbart, Stuttgart, 1975).

    Google Scholar 

  10. Mohr, P. Bull. geophys. Obs. 11, 1–65 (1967).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geophysical Observatory, Addis Ababa University, PO Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Laike M. Asfaw

Authors
  1. Laike M. Asfaw
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Asfaw, L. Development of earthquake-induced fissures in the Main Ethiopian Rift. Nature 297, 393–395 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1038/297393a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/297393a0

  • Springer Nature Limited

This article is cited by

Search

Navigation