[1] A shoreline uplift marked by a continuous white band visible at rocky headlands occurred during the 21 May 2003 earthquake (Mw 6.8) in northern Algeria. We measured the amount of coastal uplift on a white band (emerged algae) and harbors quays between Boumerdes and Dellys. Most of measured points were collected using tape and differential GPS on rocky headlands with s ± 0.15 m error bar (tidal prism). Leveling lines running parallel and orthogonal to the coast also provide the precise amount of uplift in the epicentral area. The uplift distribution shows an average 0.55 m along the shoreline with a maximum 0.75 m east of Boumerdes and a minimum close to 0 near Cap Djinet. The active deformation related to a thrust fault is modeled along the $55 km coastline. The dislocation model predicts surface slip on a N 54°E trending reverse fault, dipping 50°S E in agreement with CMT solution and coastal uplift. The faulting characteristics imply a fault geometry with possible sea bottom ruptures between 5 to 10 km offshore.

[1] We analyze the aftershocks sequence of the Zemmouri thrust faulting earthquake (21 May 2003, M w 6.8) located east of Algiers in the Tell Atlas. The seismic sequence located during $2 months following the mainshock is made of more than 1500 earthquakes and extends NE-SW along a $60-km fault rupture zone crossing the coastline. The earthquake relocation was performed using handpicked P and S phases located with the tomoDD in a detailed 3D velocity structure of the epicentral area. Contrasts between velocity patches seem to correlate with contacts between granitic-volcanic basement rocks and the sedimentary formation of the eastern Mitidja basin. The aftershock sequence exhibits at least three seismic clouds and a well-defined SE-dipping main fault geometry that reflects the complex rupture. The distribution of seismic events presents a clear contrast between a dense SW zone and a NE zone with scattered aftershocks. We observe that the mainshock locates between the SW and NE seismic zones; it also lies at the NNS-SSE contact that separates a basement block to the east and sedimentary formations to the west. The aftershock distribution also suggests fault bifurcation at the SW end of the fault rupture, with a 20-km-long $N 100°trending seismic cluster, with a vertical fault geometry parallel to the coastline juxtaposed. Another aftershock cloud may correspond to 75°SE dipping fault. The fault geometry and related SW branches may illustrate the interference between pre-existing fault structures and the SW rupture propagation. The rupture zone, related kinematics, and velocity contrasts obtained from the aftershocks distribution are in agreement with the coastal uplift and reflect the characteristics of an active zone controlled by convergent movements at a plate boundary.

[1] A strong earthquake (Mw 6.8) struck the coastal region east of Algiers and the Tell Atlas of Algeria on 21 May, 2003 and was responsible of severe damage and about 2400 casualties. The coastal mainshock was followed by a large number of aftershocks, the largest reaching Mw 5.8 on 27 May 2003. We study the mainshock, first major aftershocks and about 900 events recorded by temporary seismic stations using master-event approach and doubledifference (DD) methods. Although the seismic station array has a large gap coverage, the DD algorithm provides with an accurate aftershocks location. The mainshock hypocenter relocation is determined using three major aftershocks (5.0 Mw 5.8) chosen as master events. The new mainshock location shifted on the coastline (36.83N, 3.65E) at 8 -10 km depth. Seismic events extend to about 16-km-depth and form a N 55°-60°E trending and 45°-55°SE dipping fault geometry. Up to now, it is the unique among the recently studied seismic events of the Tell Atlas of Algeria. Mainshock and aftershocks relocation, the thrust focal mechanism (Harvard CMT: N 57°, 44°SE dip, 71 rake) and the seismic moment 2.86 10 19 Nm, infer a 50-km-long fault rupture that may appear at the sea bottom at 6 to 12 km offshore north of the coastline. The Zemmouri earthquake occurred along the complex thrust-and-fold system of the Tell Atlas and provides with new constraints on the earthquake hazard evaluation in northern Algeria.

[1] The essential features of stress interaction among earthquakes on en echelon thrusts and tear faults were investigated, first through idealized examples and then by study of thrust faulting in Algeria. We calculated coseismic stress changes caused by the 2003 M w = 6.9 Zemmouri earthquake, finding that a large majority of the Zemmouri afterslip sites were brought several bars closer to Coulomb failure by the coseismic stresses, while the majority of aftershock nodal planes were brought closer to failure by an average of ∼2 bars. Further, we calculated that the shallow portions of the adjacent Thenia tear fault, which sustained ∼0.25 m slip, were brought >2 bars closer to failure. We calculated that the Coulomb stress increased by 1.5 bars on the deeper portions of the adjacent Boumerdes thrust, which lies just 10-20 km from the city of Algiers; both the Boumerdes and Thenia faults were illuminated by aftershocks. Over the next 6 years, the entire south dipping thrust system extending 80 km to the southwest experienced an increased rate of seismicity. The stress also increased by 0.4 bar on the east Sahel thrust fault west of the Zemmouri rupture. Algiers suffered large damaging earthquakes in A.D. 1365 and 1716 and is today home to 3 million people. If these shocks occurred on the east Sahel fault and if it has a ∼2 mm/yr tectonic loading rate, then enough loading has accumulated to produce a M w = 6.6-6.9 shock today. Thus, these potentially lethal faults need better understanding of their slip rate and earthquake history.

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