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Archaeo- and palaeoseismological investigations in Northern Thessaly (Greece): Insights for the seismic potential of the region

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Abstract

Northern Thessaly may represent an important seismic gap within the broader Aegean Region, with major faults bordering the ESE–WNW trending Late Pleistocene–Holocene Tyrnavos Basin. In order to obtain information about the characteristics of past earthquakes and improve our knowledge on the seismic potential of the investigated area, historical and archaeological observations are analysed and compared with the results of palaeoseismological trenches excavated across one of the major bordering structures, the Tyrnavos Fault. The former data clearly document (i) a strong seismic activity affecting the area during the last 2–3 ka and (ii) the occurrence of recent earthquakes not included in the seismic catalogues. Also, the sedimentological, structural and chronological data (TL, OSL and AMS) obtained from the palaeoseismological trenches indicate Late Pleistocene to Holocene morphogenic activity of the Tyrnavos Fault, characterised by vertical co-seismic displacements of 20–40 cm and possible return periods of a few thousands of years. Advantages and limitations in using historical and archaeoseismological data are discussed, as well as the problems arising from analysing low slip-rate faults.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Di.S.G.G., University of Basilicata, Macchia Romana Campus, Potenza, I-85100, Italy

    Riccardo Caputo

  2. Maison de l’Orient Méditerranéen Jean-Pouilloux, 7 rue Raulin, Lyon, F-69007, France

    Bruno Helly

  3. Department of Geology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, GR-54006, Greece

    Spyros Pavlides

  4. Institute of Geodynamics, National Observatory of Athens, Lofos Nymfon, Athens, GR-11810, Greece

    Gerassimos Papadopoulos

Authors
  1. Riccardo Caputo
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  2. Bruno Helly
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  3. Spyros Pavlides
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  4. Gerassimos Papadopoulos
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Correspondence to Riccardo Caputo.

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Caputo, R., Helly, B., Pavlides, S. et al. Archaeo- and palaeoseismological investigations in Northern Thessaly (Greece): Insights for the seismic potential of the region. Nat Hazards 39, 195–212 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-006-0023-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-006-0023-9

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