Seismic anisotropy of northeastern Algeria from shear-wave splitting analysis

Autor(en)
Zohir Radi, Abdelkrim Yelles-Chaouche, Götz Bokelmann
Abstrakt

There are few studies of internal deformation under northern Africa; here we present such a study. We analyze teleseismic shear-wave splitting for northeast Algeria, to improve our knowledge of lithospheric and asthenospheric deformation mechanisms in this region. We study waveform data generated by tens of teleseismic events recorded at five recently installed broadband (BB) stations in Algeria. These stations cover an area 2° across, extending from the Tellian geological units in the North to the Saharan Atlas units in the South. Analysis of SKS-wave splitting results insignificant spatial variations in fast polarization orientation, over a scale length of at most 100. km. The seismic anisotropy shows three clear spatial patterns. A general ENE-WSW orientation is observed under the stations in the north. This polarization orientation follows the direction of the Tell Atlas mountain chain, which is perpendicular to the convergence direction between Africa and Eurasia. Delay times vary significantly across the region, between 0.6 and 2.0. s. At several stations there is an indication of a WNW-ESE polarization orientation, which is apparently related to a later geodynamic evolutionary phase in this region. A third pattern of seismic anisotropy emerges in the South, with an orientation of roughly N-S. We discuss these observations in light of geodynamic models and present-day geodetic motion.

Organisation(en)
Institut für Meteorologie und Geophysik
Externe Organisation(en)
Centre de Recherche en Astronomie Astrophysique et Géophysique
Journal
Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors
Band
248
Seiten
73-82
Anzahl der Seiten
10
ISSN
0031-9201
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pepi.2015.08.002
Publikationsdatum
11-2015
Peer-reviewed
Ja
ÖFOS 2012
105106 Geodynamik, 105122 Seismik, 105102 Allgemeine Geophysik
Schlagwörter
ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete
Astronomy and Astrophysics, Geophysics, Space and Planetary Science, Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)
Link zum Portal
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/de/publications/seismic-anisotropy-of-northeastern-algeria-from-shearwave-splitting-analysis(c2414a07-fc12-4096-8e35-e947e7ca2b1c).html