Seismicity and seismotectonic implications in the southern Baltic Sea area

An updated list of earthquakes and earthquake parameters (location, homogenized magnitude, macroseismic data) for the southern Baltic Sea area reveals activity north of the sea, whereas there are very few epicentres in the sea itself and in the region south of it. This is the first study to combine seismological data for the whole region to cover also the sea. Macroseismic data for the 1930 earthquake were reinvestigated leading to an intensity of V–VI (MM or MSK scale), a radius of perceptibility of 135 km and an unusually big focal depth of about 40 km. It is difficult to correlate individual earthquakes with specific faults, but some seismotectonic relations are suggested, e.g. for the Tornquist zone, the predominant structure of the region. Only few reliable focal-mechanism solutions exist. Possible seismogenic processes (ridge push, isostasy, etc) are discussed.