Recent Seismic Activity of the Lezha-Ulqini Seismogenic Zone and its Associated Hazard

Abstract

The results of the analysis, based on the parameters of events and some features of seismicity that have occurred in the Lezha-Ulqini seismogenic zone during period of time 2001-2012, are presented in this paper. This seismogenic zone presents a significant seismic hazard to those living in northwestern Albania, southern Montenegro not only due to the pending earthquake but also due to a lots of earthquakes certain to follow the mainshock. In total, 112 earthquakes are registered during overmentioned period in this zone, and one with ML=5.0 (Richter) occurred on 21 August 2009. Lezha-Ulqini seismogenic zone present a threat to nearby urban areas in Albania and the Montenegro. The goal of this study is to determine tipology of seismicity, the source parameters of the mainshocks and their aftershocks in order to shed light on the seismotectonics of the area on the stress field and to evaluate the seismic hazard. The region affected by the August 2009 sequence, together with the seismogenic region of the 15 Aprile 1979 Ulqini event (M7.0), forms a roughly NW−SEtrending active seismotectonic zone in western Albania and continues through southern Montenegro.