Evidence for tidal triggering on the earthquakes of the Hellenic Arc, Greece

Publication date: Available online 28 February 2015 Source:Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts A/B/C Author(s): G. Vergos , D.N. Arabelos , M.E. Contadakis In this paper we investigate the tidal triggering evidence on the earthquakes of the seismic area of the Hellenic Arc using the Hist(ogram)Cum(mulation) method. We analyze the series of the earthquakes occurred in the area which is confined by the longitudes 22° and 28°E and latitudes 34° and 36°N in the time period from 1964 to 2012. In this time period 16,137 shallow and of intermediate depth earthquakes with ML up to 6.0 and 1,482 deep earthquakes with ML up to 6.2 occurred. The result of the this analysis indicate that the monthly variation of the frequencies of earthquake occurrence is in accordance with the period of the tidal lunar monthly variations, and the same happens with the corresponding daily variations of the frequencies of earthquake occurrence with the diurnal luni-solar (K1) and semidiurnal solar (S2) tidal variations. These results are in favor of a tidal triggering process on earthquakes when the stress in the focal area is near the critical level.
Source: Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts ABC - Category: Science Source Type: research