Seismic activity in the Ubaye Region (French Alps): a specific behaviour highlighted by mainshocks and swarm sequences
The Ubaye Region is the most seismically active region in the Western Alps, with earthquakes that were commonly felt by the population and that even damaged local villages and cities. Since the first testimonies in 1844, this area has been regularly struck by seismic swarms with a high number of eve...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Académie des sciences
2021-09-01
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| Series: | Comptes Rendus. Géoscience |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://comptes-rendus.academie-sciences.fr/geoscience/articles/10.5802/crgeos.76/ |
| _version_ | 1797651316374241280 |
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| author | Baques, Marion De Barros, Louis Duverger, Clara Jomard, Hervé Godano, Maxime Courboulex, Françoise Larroque, Christophe |
| author_facet | Baques, Marion De Barros, Louis Duverger, Clara Jomard, Hervé Godano, Maxime Courboulex, Françoise Larroque, Christophe |
| author_sort | Baques, Marion |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Ubaye Region is the most seismically active region in the Western Alps, with earthquakes that were commonly felt by the population and that even damaged local villages and cities. Since the first testimonies in 1844, this area has been regularly struck by seismic swarms with a high number of events, such as in 2003–2004 or 2012–2015, or by mainshock–aftershock sequences with a magnitude up to ML 5.3 in 1959. In this paper, we analysed both historical records and instrumental seismicity in the light of geological observations. Some earthquakes could be associated with known faults, even if most of them occurred on blind, unknown faults that reveal a highly fractured basement. The abnormal level of seismicity, together with its peculiar behaviour, suggests complex driving processes involving not only tectonic loading but also fluid pressure. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T16:14:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-782a97e530b74f93a4593cda542e2457 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1778-7025 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T16:14:15Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | Académie des sciences |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Comptes Rendus. Géoscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-782a97e530b74f93a4593cda542e24572023-10-24T14:24:12ZengAcadémie des sciencesComptes Rendus. Géoscience1778-70252021-09-01353S153555910.5802/crgeos.7610.5802/crgeos.76Seismic activity in the Ubaye Region (French Alps): a specific behaviour highlighted by mainshocks and swarm sequencesBaques, Marion0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3078-0223De Barros, Louis1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5541-9162Duverger, Clara2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7814-1546Jomard, Hervé3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3878-1215Godano, Maxime4https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7631-8662Courboulex, Françoise5https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4467-9102Larroque, Christophe6https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0866-9441Université Côte d’Azur, CNRS, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, IRD, Géoazur, 250 rue Albert Einstein, Sophia Antipolis 06560 Valbonne, FranceUniversité Côte d’Azur, CNRS, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, IRD, Géoazur, 250 rue Albert Einstein, Sophia Antipolis 06560 Valbonne, FranceCEA, DAM, DIF, F-91297 Arpajon, FranceBureau d’évaluation des risques sismiques pour la sûreté des installations, Institut de Radioprotection et Sûreté Nucléaire, Fontenay-aux-Roses, FranceUniversité Côte d’Azur, CNRS, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, IRD, Géoazur, 250 rue Albert Einstein, Sophia Antipolis 06560 Valbonne, FranceUniversité Côte d’Azur, CNRS, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, IRD, Géoazur, 250 rue Albert Einstein, Sophia Antipolis 06560 Valbonne, FranceUniversité Côte d’Azur, CNRS, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, IRD, Géoazur, 250 rue Albert Einstein, Sophia Antipolis 06560 Valbonne, FranceThe Ubaye Region is the most seismically active region in the Western Alps, with earthquakes that were commonly felt by the population and that even damaged local villages and cities. Since the first testimonies in 1844, this area has been regularly struck by seismic swarms with a high number of events, such as in 2003–2004 or 2012–2015, or by mainshock–aftershock sequences with a magnitude up to ML 5.3 in 1959. In this paper, we analysed both historical records and instrumental seismicity in the light of geological observations. Some earthquakes could be associated with known faults, even if most of them occurred on blind, unknown faults that reveal a highly fractured basement. The abnormal level of seismicity, together with its peculiar behaviour, suggests complex driving processes involving not only tectonic loading but also fluid pressure.https://comptes-rendus.academie-sciences.fr/geoscience/articles/10.5802/crgeos.76/Mainshock-aftershocks sequencesEarthquake swarmsFluid-driven processUbaye regionFrench Western AlpsMainshock-aftershocks sequences |
| spellingShingle | Baques, Marion De Barros, Louis Duverger, Clara Jomard, Hervé Godano, Maxime Courboulex, Françoise Larroque, Christophe Seismic activity in the Ubaye Region (French Alps): a specific behaviour highlighted by mainshocks and swarm sequences Comptes Rendus. Géoscience Mainshock-aftershocks sequences Earthquake swarms Fluid-driven process Ubaye region French Western Alps Mainshock-aftershocks sequences |
| title | Seismic activity in the Ubaye Region (French Alps): a specific behaviour highlighted by mainshocks and swarm sequences |
| title_full | Seismic activity in the Ubaye Region (French Alps): a specific behaviour highlighted by mainshocks and swarm sequences |
| title_fullStr | Seismic activity in the Ubaye Region (French Alps): a specific behaviour highlighted by mainshocks and swarm sequences |
| title_full_unstemmed | Seismic activity in the Ubaye Region (French Alps): a specific behaviour highlighted by mainshocks and swarm sequences |
| title_short | Seismic activity in the Ubaye Region (French Alps): a specific behaviour highlighted by mainshocks and swarm sequences |
| title_sort | seismic activity in the ubaye region french alps a specific behaviour highlighted by mainshocks and swarm sequences |
| topic | Mainshock-aftershocks sequences Earthquake swarms Fluid-driven process Ubaye region French Western Alps Mainshock-aftershocks sequences |
| url | https://comptes-rendus.academie-sciences.fr/geoscience/articles/10.5802/crgeos.76/ |
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