Spatial distribution of the near coast and onshore seismicity of Crete (South Greece) with special emphasis to Heraklion basin (Central Crete)

摘要

In the context of the present work the spatial distribution of the seismic activity around Crete Island in the Southern Hellenic Arc for the period 2003-2007 is studied. Especially in the period July-October 2007 about 600 events with low and moderate magnitudes have been indicated. Most of these events are located near coast and onshore of Crete. Additionally, we studied the relation of the earthquake epicenters with specific fault zones for the Heraklion basin. GIS techniques were used for mapping the distribution of earthquake epicenters on the various topographic and geological features of the area. Maps were created through interpolation algorithms. Spatial tools and statistical analysis were exploited to examine the correlation between earthquake loci and faulting orientations. The distribution of the epicenters indicates that the near coast and onshore seismicity is closely associated to the Crete tectonics. Especially for Heraklion prefecture the epicenter distribution is related to E-W, NE-SW and NW-SE striking faults.