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Seismicity of the Western Side of the Southern Red Sea

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Book cover The Red Sea

Part of the book series: Springer Earth System Sciences ((SPRINGEREARTH))

Abstract

The seismicity of the southern Red Sea is driven by the geological and geophysical processes taking place at and around the Afar Triple Junction, where the Red Sea, East African, and Gulf of Aden Rifts meet. From this plate tectonic node, the Nubian, Arabian, and Somali Blocks are moving away from each other. The consequent structures being predominantly extensional, almost all focal mechanisms of earthquakes in the region express normal faulting, although local tectonic complications are revealed in subordinate strike-slip mechanisms. The b-value, which indicates regional stress conditions and corresponding modalities of energy release, ranges between 0.5 and about 1.5. Seismic episodes are mostly of the swarm type, comprising small to moderate magnitude earthquakes at shallow focal depths. These episodes are occasionally accompanied by volcanism, either basaltic or silicic. Four recent major seismic events in the region, and their significant economic and social consequences, are briefly considered. As the economic development of the region proceeds, the impacts of these natural hazards will inevitably become more severe. This invites the preparation of appropriate mitigation procedures.

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Acknowledgments

Many thanks to Paul Mohr, Vunganai Midzi, and James Hammond for thoroughly reviewing the manuscript and contributing highly valuable comments. Their inputs have indeed improved the chapter significantly.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth Sciences, Eritrea Institute of Technology, P.O. Box 12676, Asmara, Eritrea

    Ghebrebrhan Ogubazghi & Berhe Goitom

  2. Department of Geology, University of Botswana, Private Bag, 00704, Gaborone, Botswana

    Ghebrebrhan Ogubazghi

Authors
  1. Ghebrebrhan Ogubazghi
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  2. Berhe Goitom
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Correspondence to Ghebrebrhan Ogubazghi .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Saudi Geological Survey Center for Marine Geology, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

    Najeeb M.A. Rasul

  2. Stewart Geophysical Consultants Pty. Ltd., Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

    Ian C.F. Stewart

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Ogubazghi, G., Goitom, B. (2015). Seismicity of the Western Side of the Southern Red Sea. In: Rasul, N., Stewart, I. (eds) The Red Sea. Springer Earth System Sciences. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-45201-1_9

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