Microearthquake seismicity and fault-plane solutions in the southern Aegean and its geodynanic implications

Seismicity ( Ml <3.5) in the southern Aegean, located using data collected during seven weeks of recording by a temporary network of seismological stations, largely follows the Hellenic arc; the Sea of Crete is nearly aseismic, and only little activity is located south of the Hellenic trench, within the African plate. Focal mechanisms exhibit reverse faulting in the external part of the arc and normal faulting inside it. This normal faulting indicates N-S extension in the northern Aegean, the Gulf of Corinth, the Cyclades and Dodecanese Islands, but NW-SE extension in southern Peloponnese and western Crete and E-W extension in eastern Crete. This non-uniform strain pattern suggests that the Aegean region not only extends in a N-S sense, with the Hellenic arc moving south-westward relative to the Eurasian plate, but also by E-W extension of its southern margin, so that there is a net divergence of material.