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Seismicity of Sinai Peninsula, Egypt

زلزالية شبه جزيرة سيناء - مصر

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Abstract

The Sinai Peninsula has a triangular shape between the African and Arabian Plates and is bounded from the western and eastern borders by the Gulf of Suez and Gulf of Aqaba–Dead Sea rift systems, respectively. It is affected by strong and destructive earthquakes (e.g., March 31, 1969 and November 22, 1995) and moderate earthquakes (m b > 5) throughout its history. After the installation of the Egyptian National Seismic Network (ENSN), a great number of earthquakes has been recorded within and around Sinai. Consequently, the seismogenic source zones and seismotectonic behavior can be clearly identified. Available data, including both historical and instrumental (1900–1997), have been collected from national and international data centers. While the data from 1998 till December 2007 are gathered from ENSN bulletins. The seismogenic source zones that might affect Sinai Peninsula are defined more precisely in this work depending on the distribution of earthquakes, seismicity rate (a value), b value, and fault plane solution of the major earthquakes. In addition, the type of faults prevailed and characterized these zones. It is concluded that the Gulf of Aqaba zone–Dead Sea transform zone, Gulf of Suez rift zone, Cairo–Suez District zone, and Eastern Mediterranean dislocation zone represent the major effective zones for Sinai. Furthermore, there are two local seismic zones passing through Sinai contributing to the earthquake activities of Sinai, these are the Negev shear zone and Central Sinai fault (Themed fault) zone. The source parameters, a and b values, and the maximum expected moment magnitude have been determined for each of these zones. These results will contribute to a great extent in the seismic hazard assessment and risk mitigation studies for Sinai Peninsula to protect the developmental projects.

Abstract

تكتونيا تقع شبه جزيرة سيناء بين اللوحين العربي والأفريقي، فيحدها خليج العقبة من جهة الشرق وخليج السويس من الغرب. ونظرا لموقعها هذا فقد تأثرت سيناء بعدد من الزلازل القوية على مدار تاريخها الجيولوجي (مثل زلزال 31 مارس 1969 وزلزال 22 نوفمبر 1995). بالإضافة لعدد من الزلازل متوسطة القوة (تزيد قوتها على 5 درجات على مقياس ريختر). ولكن بعد تشغيل الشبكة المصرية القومية للزلازل في أغسطس 1997، فقد أمكن تسجيل عدد هائل من الزلازل داخل وحول شبه جزيرة سيناء، والتي تمثل طفرة كبيرة في تاريخ الرصد الزلزالي بمصر والذي يرجع إلى عام 1898. وقد ساعد توزيع محطات الشبكة القوية للزلازل في تحديد المكامن الزلزالية المؤثرة داخل وحول سيناء. وتم تجميع بيانات الزلازل التي استخدمت في هذه الدراسة على مرحلتين. المرحلة الأولى تشمل الفترة من 1900 حتى 1997 حيث تم تجميعها من مراكز البيانات الدولية. أما المرحلة الثانية وتشمل الفترة من 1998 وحتى 2007 حيث تم تجميعها من خلال تسجيلات الزلازل المسجلة بواسطة الشبكة المصرية القومية للزلازل. أمكن تحديد حدود المكامن الزلزالية داخل وحول سيناء اعتمادا على عدد من الأدلة والشواهد (مثل توزيع النشاط الزلزالي، معدل حدوث النشاط الزلزالي، ميكانيكية التصدع عند البؤرة)، بالإضافة إلى تحديد نوعية الفوالق والتراكيب الجيولوجية المساندة بالمنطقة ومعاملاتها المختلفة. في هذه الدراسة أمكن تحديد عدد من المكامن الزلزالية العظمى حول سيناء وهم كما يلي: خليج العقبة – البحر الميت، خليج السويس، طريق القاهرة – السويس، وشرق البحر المتوسط. ولقد تم أيضا في هذه الدراسة تحديد عدد إثنين من المكامن الزلزالية داخل سيناء وهما: نطاق نجف للقص، وفالق وسط سيناء. وقد تم حساب معاملات النشاط الزلزالي لكل مكمن من هذه المكامن الزلزالية. كما تم تعيين أقصى قوة متوقعة للزلازل بكل مكمن. وتعتبر نتائج هذه الدراسة من العناصر الأساسية لحساب الخطورة الزلزالية المتوقعة على المنشآت الهامة بشبه جزيرة سيناء، واتخاذ الإحتياطات اللازمة لتقليل هذه المخاطر.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Seismology Department, National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (NRIAG), Helwan, Cairo, Egypt

    Kamal Abdel-Rahman & Enayat Abdel-Moneim

  2. Geology Department, Faculty of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Abdullah M. S. Al-Amri

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  1. Kamal Abdel-Rahman
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Correspondence to Kamal Abdel-Rahman.

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Abdel-Rahman, K., Al-Amri, A.M.S. & Abdel-Moneim, E. Seismicity of Sinai Peninsula, Egypt. Arab J Geosci 2, 103–118 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-008-0014-0

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