Analysis of the Low-Energy Seismic Activity in the Southern Apulia (Italy)

Pierpaolo Pierri, Salvatore de Lorenzo, Gildo Calcagnile

Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e Geoambientali, Università degli Studi di Bari “Aldo Moro”, Bari, Italy.
Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e Geoambientali, Università degli Studi di Bari “Aldo Moro”, Bari, Italy; Osservatorio Sismologico, Università degli Studi di Bari “Aldo Moro”, Bari, Italy.

DOI: 10.4236/ojer.2013.24010                

Abstract

In this paper we analysed the historical and instrumental seismicity of the seismic district “Penisola Salentina” (Salento peninsula) in the southern part of the Apuliaregion, making use of the most recent seismological database. Relocation of available dataset points out that the events are spatially distributed over a belt of deformation that approximately corresponds to Soglia Messapica (Taranto-Brindisi depression). Besides, computed source characteristics indicate dextral strike-slip solutions with an approximately E-W orientation that seismologically confirm previous geodynamic studies indicating a NE-SW extension in the Taranto-Brindisi depression. In particular, the tensional stress associated to the present seismic activity could be the consequence of the relaxation of the buckling process following the extensional re-arrangement of the Apenninic belt masses. Moreover attenuation QPvalues obtained in this study are much greater than those inferred in other parts of Italian peninsula; this result agrees with previous macroseismic investigations and indicates a greater efficiency of the studied area in the transmission of body waves.

Keywords

Salento Peninsula (Southern Italy); Seismicity; Focal Mechanisms; Source Parameters

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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