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Geosciences
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Seismotectonics, Active Deformation, and Structure of the Crust
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Seismotectonics, Active Deformation, and Structure of the Crust

A special issue of Geosciences (ISSN 2076-3263). This special issue belongs to the section "Structural Geology and Tectonics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2021) | Viewed by 56526

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Ioannis Kassaras

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Geology and Geoenvironment, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 157 72 Athens, Greece
Interests: earthquake source; seismotectonics and active deformation; seismic structure of the Earth’s interior; engineering seismology; seismic risk
Dr. Athanassios Ganas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Geodynamics Institute, National Observatory of Athens, 118 10 Athens, Greece
Interests: active tectonics; deformation; GNSS; tectonic geomorrhology; remote sensing
Dr. Paolo Pace

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Engineering and Geology Department, ‘G. d’Annunzio’ University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
2. PACE Geoscience, Chieti, Italy
Interests: structural geology; tectonics, seismic interpretation; petroleum geology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Knowledge of seismotectonics, active deformation, and the structure of the Earth’s crust is a key for the first order perception and assessment of the seismic hazard, and consequently the seismic risk, of an area. It is moreover essential for understanding the geodynamics and on-going surface processes (i.e., erosion, sedimentation, etc.), and for the exploration and management of georeservoirs for energy and waste. This book aims to reveal comprehensive images of shallow earthquake physics, active tectonics, crustal structures, and deformation, at continental, regional and local scales. The implementation of modern theories, the introduction of innovative methods, the application of cutting-edge computational and mapping tools to longstanding problems in tectonics and seismology, and the presentation of comprehensive data analyses representing various geodynamic regimes are welcome. More specifically, we encourage the submission of papers concerning topics (and combinations of) such as

  • Theoretical concepts;
  • Methods of seismological, geological, and geodetic data analyses;
  • Stress and strain models for actively deforming regions of the Earth;
  • Physics-based constraints of significant seismic sources;
  • Induced seismicity and physics of induced earthquakes;
  • Mechanisms/models of earthquakes nucleation and the role of crustal fluids;
  • Combination of field observations with analyses and geophysical interpretations with the aim of understanding how active continental margins are deformed;
  • Advances in the relocation of shallow earthquake sequences and in moment tensor inversion;
  • New geodesy and geomatics tools (GNSS, UAV etc.) for the observation and monitoring of our planet;
  • Advances in understanding the mechanics of geophysical/geodynamical processes; monitoring of ground shaking and displacement during earthquakes, and for contributions to tsunami early warning; tracking real-time motion of landslides and the safety of structures;
  • Development of new satellite image processing algorithms for smart value-added products and datasets such as DTM/DSM models to study and evaluate terrain and topographic surface risks and processes;
  • Local and regional seismic tomography;
  • Societal benefits of such studies and their contributions to the resilience of megacities.

Prof. Ioannis Kassaras
Dr. Athanassios Ganas
Dr. Paolo Pace
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Geosciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Crust structure-deformation
  • Active tectonics
  • Seismic wave propagation
  • Stress and strain
  • Statistical seismology
  • Seismic tomography
  • Seismotectonics
  • Fault mechanics
  • Remote sensing

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

3 pages, 167 KiB  
Editorial
Special Issue: “Seismotectonics, Active Deformation, and Structure of the Crust”
by Ioannis Kassaras, Athanassios Ganas and Paolo Pace
Geosciences 2023, 13(3), 73; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences13030073 - 6 Mar 2023
Viewed by 1350
Abstract
Knowledge of seismotectonics, active deformation, and the structure of Earth’s crust is key for the first-order perception and assessment of the seismic hazard, and consequently the seismic risk, of an area [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Seismotectonics, Active Deformation, and Structure of the Crust)

Research

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36 pages, 57944 KiB  
Article
The Santorini-Amorgos Shear Zone: Evidence for Dextral Transtension in the South Aegean Back-Arc Region, Greece
by Konstantina Tsampouraki-Kraounaki, Dimitris Sakellariou, Grigoris Rousakis, Ioannis Morfis, Ioannis Panagiotopoulos, Isidoros Livanos, Kyriaki Manta, Fratzeska Paraschos and George Papatheodorou
Geosciences 2021, 11(5), 216; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences11050216 - 14 May 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4822
Abstract
Bathymetric and seismic data provide insights into the geomorphological configuration, seismic stratigraphy, structure, and evolution of the area between Santorini, Amorgos, Astypalea, and Anafi islands. Santorini-Amorgos Shear Zone (SASZ) is a NE-SW striking feature that includes seven basins, two shallow ridges, and hosts [...] Read more.
Bathymetric and seismic data provide insights into the geomorphological configuration, seismic stratigraphy, structure, and evolution of the area between Santorini, Amorgos, Astypalea, and Anafi islands. Santorini-Amorgos Shear Zone (SASZ) is a NE-SW striking feature that includes seven basins, two shallow ridges, and hosts the volcanic centers of Santorini and Kolumbo. The SASZ initiated in the Early Pliocene as a single, W-E oriented basin. A major reorganization of the geodynamic regime led to (i) reorientation of the older faults and initiation of NE-SW striking ones, (ii) disruption of the single basin and localized subsidence and uplift, (iii) creation of four basins out of the former single one (Anafi, Amorgos South, Amorgos North, and Kinairos basins), (iv) rifting of the northern and southern margins and creation of Anydros, Astypalea North, and Astypalea South basins, and (v) uplift of the ridges. Dextral shearing and oblique rifting are accommodated by NE-SW striking, dextral oblique to strike-slip faults and by roughly W-E striking, normal, transfer faults. It is suggested here that enhanced shearing in NE-SW direction and oblique rifting may be the dominant deformation mechanism in the South Aegean since Early Quaternary associated with the interaction of North Anatolian Fault with the slab roll-back. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Seismotectonics, Active Deformation, and Structure of the Crust)
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15 pages, 9683 KiB  
Article
Morphotectonic Analysis along the Northern Margin of Samos Island, Related to the Seismic Activity of October 2020, Aegean Sea, Greece
by Paraskevi Nomikou, Dimitris Evangelidis, Dimitrios Papanikolaou, Danai Lampridou, Dimitris Litsas, Yannis Tsaparas and Ilias Koliopanos
Geosciences 2021, 11(2), 102; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences11020102 - 20 Feb 2021
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 5116
Abstract
On 30 October 2020, a strong earthquake of magnitude 7.0 occurred north of Samos Island at the Eastern Aegean Sea, whose earthquake mechanism corresponds to an E-W normal fault dipping to the north. During the aftershock period in December 2020, a hydrographic survey [...] Read more.
On 30 October 2020, a strong earthquake of magnitude 7.0 occurred north of Samos Island at the Eastern Aegean Sea, whose earthquake mechanism corresponds to an E-W normal fault dipping to the north. During the aftershock period in December 2020, a hydrographic survey off the northern coastal margin of Samos Island was conducted onboard R/V NAFTILOS. The result was a detailed bathymetric map with 15 m grid interval and 50 m isobaths and a morphological slope map. The morphotectonic analysis showed the E-W fault zone running along the coastal zone with 30–50° of slope, forming a half-graben structure. Numerous landslides and canyons trending N-S, transversal to the main direction of the Samos coastline, are observed between 600 and 100 m water depth. The ENE-WSW oriented western Samos coastline forms the SE margin of the neighboring deeper Ikaria Basin. A hummocky relief was detected at the eastern margin of Samos Basin probably representing volcanic rocks. The active tectonics characterized by N-S extension is very different from the Neogene tectonics of Samos Island characterized by NE-SW compression. The mainshock and most of the aftershocks of the October 2020 seismic activity occur on the prolongation of the north dipping E-W fault zone at about 12 km depth. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Seismotectonics, Active Deformation, and Structure of the Crust)
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20 pages, 25756 KiB  
Article
Complex Shear Partitioning Involving the 6 February 2012 MW 6.7 Negros Earthquake Ground Rupture in Central Philippines
by Rolly E. Rimando, Jeremy M. Rimando and Robjunelieaaa B. Lim
Geosciences 2020, 10(11), 460; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences10110460 - 14 Nov 2020
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 11277
Abstract
A 75 km-long, generally NE-striking ground rupture associated with the 6 February 2012 MW 6.7 (Mb 6.9) Negros earthquake was mapped on the eastern side of Negros Island, Philippines. It closely follows a previously unmapped, pre-existing fault trace along the [...] Read more.
A 75 km-long, generally NE-striking ground rupture associated with the 6 February 2012 MW 6.7 (Mb 6.9) Negros earthquake was mapped on the eastern side of Negros Island, Philippines. It closely follows a previously unmapped, pre-existing fault trace along the coast which is marked mostly by terrace-forming scarps. The dominance of vertical separation (west side up) is consistent with a west-dipping reverse fault, as indicated by focal mechanism solutions. The ground rupture map eliminates the ambiguity in the focal mechanism solution regarding the orientation, sense of motion, and location of the seismogenic fault plane, which are indispensable in the assessment of seismic hazards and the nature and distribution of deformation. This study uses the ground rupture map of the 2012 Negros earthquake in sorting out the mechanism of deformation in the Visayas Islands region. The ground rupture’s length is well within the aftershock area while its scarp heights are consistent with an earthquake of its magnitude and nature of movement. The 2012 Negros earthquake rupture’s pattern, scarp types, and offset of man-made structures are similar to those of recent reverse/thrust ground ruptures mapped globally and are distinct from those associated with erosion, landslide, and liquefaction. The onshore coseismic reverse fault of the Negros earthquake, which contradicts a model of coseismic slip on an offshore blind thrust fault by previous workers, represents the first thoroughly mapped ground rupture of its kind in the Philippines. The ground ruptures of the 2012 Negros and 2013 Bohol earthquakes, along with the Philippine Trench and the Philippine Fault Zone (PFZ), represent a complex shear partitioning mechanism in the Visayas Islands region. This departs from the current simple shear partitioning model for the region and is distinct from those for other regions along the PFZ and adjacent subduction zones. This study shows how an appreciation of morphotectonic features can lead to a better understanding of the distribution of deformation and the nature of earthquake hazards. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Seismotectonics, Active Deformation, and Structure of the Crust)
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26 pages, 17693 KiB  
Article
The Mw = 5.6 Kanallaki Earthquake of 21 March 2020 in West Epirus, Greece: Reverse Fault Model from InSAR Data and Seismotectonic Implications for Apulia-Eurasia Collision
by Sotiris Valkaniotis, Pierre Briole, Athanassios Ganas, Panagiotis Elias, Vassilis Kapetanidis, Varvara Tsironi, Anna Fokaefs, Helena Partheniou and Panagiotis Paschos
Geosciences 2020, 10(11), 454; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences10110454 - 11 Nov 2020
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 4723
Abstract
We identify the source of the Mw = 5.6 earthquake that hit west-central Epirus on 21 March 2020 00:49:52 UTC. We use Sentinel-1 synthetic aperture radar interferograms tied to one permanent Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) station (GARD). We model the source by [...] Read more.
We identify the source of the Mw = 5.6 earthquake that hit west-central Epirus on 21 March 2020 00:49:52 UTC. We use Sentinel-1 synthetic aperture radar interferograms tied to one permanent Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) station (GARD). We model the source by inverting the INSAR displacement data. The inversion model suggests a shallow source on a low-angle fault (39°) dipping towards east with a centroid depth of 8.5 km. The seismic moment deduced from our model agrees with those of the published seismic moment tensors. This geometry is compatible with reverse-slip motion along the west-verging Margariti thrust fault that accommodates part of the convergence within the collision zone between Apulia and Eurasia. We also processed new GNSS data and estimate a total convergence rate between Apulia and Eurasia of 8.9 mm yr−1, of which the shortening of the crust between the Epirus coastal GNSS stations and station PAXO in the Ionian Sea (across the Ionian Thrust) is equivalent to ~50% of it or 4.6 mm yr−1. By back-slip modelling we found that a 60-km wide deformation zone takes up nearly most of the convergence between Apulia-Eurasia, trending N318°E. Its central axis runs along the southwest coast of Corfu, along the northeast coast of Paxoi, heading toward the northern extremity of the Lefkada island. The island of Paxoi appears kinematically as part of the Apulian plate. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Seismotectonics, Active Deformation, and Structure of the Crust)
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16 pages, 6006 KiB  
Article
Ground Deformation and Seismic Fault Model of the M6.4 Durres (Albania) Nov. 26, 2019 Earthquake, Based on GNSS/INSAR Observations
by Athanassios Ganas, Panagiotis Elias, Pierre Briole, Flavio Cannavo, Sotirios Valkaniotis, Varvara Tsironi and Eleni I. Partheniou
Geosciences 2020, 10(6), 210; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences10060210 - 1 Jun 2020
Cited by 35 | Viewed by 5014
Abstract
We identify the source of the Mw = 6.4 earthquake that rocked north-central Albania on November 26, 2019 02:54 UTC. We use synthetic aperture radar interferograms tied to the time series of coordinates of two permanent Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) stations [...] Read more.
We identify the source of the Mw = 6.4 earthquake that rocked north-central Albania on November 26, 2019 02:54 UTC. We use synthetic aperture radar interferograms tied to the time series of coordinates of two permanent Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) stations (DUR2 and TIR2). We model the source by inverting the displacement data. Assuming in our model a half-space elastic medium and uniform slip along a rectangular fault surface, we invert the 104 picked measurements on a couple of ascending and descending interferograms to calculate the parameters of the fault. All inversions made with different input parameters converge towards a stable and robust solution with root mean square (r.m.s.) residual of 5.4 mm, thus ~1/5 of a fringe. They reveal that the earthquake occurred deep in the crust on a low-angle fault (23°) dipping towards east with a centroid at 16.5 km depth. The best-fitting length and width of the fault are 22 and 13 km, and the reverse slip, 0.55 m. The seismic moment deduced from our model agrees with those of the published seismic moment tensors. This geometry is compatible with a blind thrust fault that may root on the main basal thrust, i.e., along the thrust front that separates Adria–Apulia from Eurasia. It is notable that there is a 123 ns yr−1 active shortening of the crust between the GNSS stations DUR2-TIR2 (equivalent to a shortening rate of 3.6 mm yr−1), and roughly in the east–west direction. Given this amount of strain the recurrence time of M6+ earthquakes along this fault should be of the order of 150 years. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Seismotectonics, Active Deformation, and Structure of the Crust)
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Review

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35 pages, 3275 KiB  
Review
Theory of Effective Stress in Soil and Rock and Implications for Fracturing Processes: A Review
by Vincenzo Guerriero and Stefano Mazzoli
Geosciences 2021, 11(3), 119; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences11030119 - 5 Mar 2021
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 11366
Abstract
The effective stress principle (ESP) plays a basic role in geology and engineering problems as it is involved in fundamental issues concerning strain and failure of rock and soil, as well as of other porous materials such as concrete, metal powders, biological tissues, [...] Read more.
The effective stress principle (ESP) plays a basic role in geology and engineering problems as it is involved in fundamental issues concerning strain and failure of rock and soil, as well as of other porous materials such as concrete, metal powders, biological tissues, etc. Although since its introduction in the 1920s the main ESP aspects have been unravelled and theoretically derived, these do not appear to have been always entirely perceived by many in the science community dealing with ESP-related topics but having little familiarity with the complex theories of porous media and poroelasticity. The purpose of this review is to provide a guidance for the reader who needs an updated overview of the different theoretical and experimental approaches to the ESP and related topics over the past century, with particular reference to geological fracturing processes. We begin by illustrating, after some introductive historical remarks, the basic theory underlying the ESP, based on theory of elasticity methods. Then the different ESP-related theories and experimental results, as well as main interpretations of rock jointing and fracturing phenomena, are discussed. Two main classical works are then revisited, and a rigorous ESP proof is derived. Such a proof is aimed at geologists, engineers and geophysicists to become more familiar with theories of porous media and poroelasticity, being based on the classical theory of elasticity. The final part of this review illustrates some still open issues about faulting and hydraulic fracturing in rocks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Seismotectonics, Active Deformation, and Structure of the Crust)
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28 pages, 18732 KiB  
Review
The New Seismotectonic Atlas of Greece (v1.0) and Its Implementation
by Ioannis Kassaras, Vasilis Kapetanidis, Athanassios Ganas, Andreas Tzanis, Chrysanthi Kosma, Andreas Karakonstantis, Sotirios Valkaniotis, Stylianos Chailas, Vasiliki Kouskouna and Panayotis Papadimitriou
Geosciences 2020, 10(11), 447; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences10110447 - 8 Nov 2020
Cited by 48 | Viewed by 11213
Abstract
Knowledge and visualization of the present-day relationship between earthquakes, active tectonics and crustal deformation is a key to understanding geodynamic processes, and is also essential for risk mitigation and the management of geo-reservoirs for energy and waste. The study of the complexity of [...] Read more.
Knowledge and visualization of the present-day relationship between earthquakes, active tectonics and crustal deformation is a key to understanding geodynamic processes, and is also essential for risk mitigation and the management of geo-reservoirs for energy and waste. The study of the complexity of the Greek tectonics has been the subject of intense efforts of our working group, employing multidisciplinary methodologies that include detailed geological mapping, geophysical and seismological data processing using innovative methods and geodetic data processing, involved in surveying at various scales. The data and results from these studies are merged with existing or updated datasets to compose the new Seismotectonic Atlas of Greece. The main objective of the Atlas is to harmonize and integrate the most recent seismological, geological, tectonic, geophysical and geodetic data in an interactive, online GIS environment. To demonstrate the wealth of information available in the end product, herein, we present thematic layers of important seismotectonic and geophysical content, which facilitates the comprehensive visualization and first order insight into seismic and other risks of the Greek territories. The future prospect of the Atlas is the incorporation of tools and algorithms for joint analysis and appraisal of these datasets, so as to enable rapid seismotectonic analysis and scenario-based seismic risk assessment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Seismotectonics, Active Deformation, and Structure of the Crust)
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