Microearthquake activity near the southern border of the Rhenish Massif.

Abstract

Micro-earthquakes in the southern part of the Rhenish massif and the adjacent areas have been observed over a period of five years. Epicentres show that historic activity is being continued into the present. New micro-earthquake activity seems to start in the Hessian depression. Hypocentre sections show different maximum focal depths near the southern border of the massif and beneath it. Stress directions from fault plane solutions of well-recorded events are partly in good agreement with the results of in situ stress measurements. The different types of fault plane solutions reflect the particular seismotectonic situation and indicate that the region is a zone of shear blockade and neotectonic fault action. -J.M.H.