Skip to main content
Log in

Another look at the 2009 seismic activity, Harrat Lunayyir, Saudi Arabia

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Journal of Seismology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study aims to recognize the influence of source- and path-effects on seismic spectra using the waveform data from the 2009 seismic activity, Harrat Lunayyir (HL), eastern flank of the Red Sea coastline, Saudi Arabia. This seismic activity is considered as a series of continuously evolving events reaching at some stage the maximum on 19 May 2009, with the largest shock of Mw 5.4, and then decayed. A total number of 218 events of magnitudes ML ≥ 2.0 were analyzed, which include the largest shock, 101 and 116 seismic events representing the seismic events within the early and decay stages, respectively. The data analysis using Frequency-time analysis revealed diversity patterns of frequency contents along the recorded seismic stations. Moreover, the modified WADATI diagram showed VP/VS variations of 1.7 ± 0.003 and 1.72 ± 0.002 before and after the occurrence of the largest-sized event among the HL seismic activity, respectively. Using the grid-search method to recover the space parameters representing the average source spectrum of each earthquake over the recorded seismic stations, estimates of source sizes and stress drops imply variations in self-similarity scaling relationship among the HL seismic activity. According to the results obtained from the current analyses, we propose a scenario began with an emplacement of seismic activity due to the local stress accumulation imports from an upward dike injection that is blocked by cooled and hardened magmatic materials in the upper crust from the earlier intrusions. The stress accumulation continued and was then released, at some stage, by the event having the maximum magnitude followed by seismic activities released due to stress relaxations.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abdelfattah AK, AlAmri A, Fnais M, Abdelrahman K (2014) Estimation of source parameters and attenuation using digital waveforms of Al-Ays 2009 earthquake, Saudi Arabia. Arab J Geosci 7(8):3325–3337

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Abdelfattah AK, Morgen S, Mukhopahyay M (2017) Mapping b-value for 2009 Harrat Lunayyir earthquake swarm, western Saudi Arabia and Coulomb stress for its mainshock. JVGR 330:14–23

    Google Scholar 

  • Aki K, Richard G (1980) Quantitative seismology: theory and methods. W. H. Freeman, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Al-Amri A, Fnais M (2009) Seismo-volcanic investigation of 2009 earthquake swarms at Harrat Lunayyir (Ash Shaqah), Western Saudi Arabia. IntJ Earth Sci Eng India

  • Al-Damegh K, Sandvol E, Barazangi M (2005) Crustal structure of the Arabian plate: new constraints from the analysis of teleseismic receiver functions. Earth Planet Sci Lett 231:177–196

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aldamegh K, Hussein H, Al-Arifi N, Moustafa S, Moustafa M (2010) Focal mechanism of Badr earthquake, Saudi Arabia of August 27,2009. Arab J Geosci 5(4):599-606

  • Baer G, Hamiel Y (2010) Form and growth of an embryonic continental rift: InSAR observations and modelling of the 2009 western Arabia rifting episode. Geophys J Int 182(1):155–167

    Google Scholar 

  • Borok VK (1959) On estimation of the displacement in an earthquake source and of source dimensions. Ann Geophys 12(2):205–214

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown GF (1972) Tectonic map of the Arabian Peninsula, 1:4,000,000. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources

  • Brune JN (1970) Tectonic stress and the spectra of seismic shear waves from earthquakes. J Geophys Res 75(26):4997–5009

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brune JN (1971) Seismic sources, fault plane studies and tectonics. EOS Tras AUG 52:187–187

    Google Scholar 

  • Brune JN, Fletcher J, Vernon F, Haar L, Hanks T, Berger J (1986) Low stress-drop earthquakes in the light of new data from the Anza, California telemetered digital array. Am Geophys Monogr37:237–245

  • Camp VE, Hooper PR, Roobol MJ, White DL (1987) The Madinah eruption, Saudi Arabia: magma mixing and simultaneous extrusion of three basaltic chemical types. Bull Volcanol 49(2):489–508

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chatelain J (1978) Étude fine de la sismicité en zone de collision continentale à l’aide d’un réseau de stations portables: la région HinduKush–Pamir, Ph.D. thesis, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse

  • Chatterjee SN, Pitt AM, Iyer HM (1985) Vp/Vs ratios in the Yellowstone national park region, Wyoming. JVGR 26:213–230

    Google Scholar 

  • Chouet BA (1996) Long-period volcano seismicity: its source and use in eruption forecasting. Nature 380(6572):309–316

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Craig TJ, Jackson JA, Priestley K, McKenzie D (2011) Earthquake distribution patterns in Africa: their relationship to variations in lithospheric and geological structure, and their rheological implications. GJI 185(1):403–434

    Google Scholar 

  • Cramer CH, McNutt SR (1997) Spectral analysis of earthquakes in the 1989 Mammoth Mountain swarm near Long Valley, California. Bull Seismol Soc Am 87(6):1454–1462

    Google Scholar 

  • de Lorenzo S, Zollo A, Zito G (2010) Source, attenuation, and site parameters of the 1997 Umbria - Marche seismic sequence from the inversion of P wave spectra: a comparison between constant QP and frequency-dependent QP models. J Geophys Res 115:B09306. https://doi.org/10.1029/2009JB007004

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Daradich A, Mitrovica JX, Pysklywec RN, Willett SD, Forte AM (2003) Mantle flow, dynamic topography, and rift-flank uplift of Arabia. Geology 31(10):901–904

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dawson P, Chouet B (2014) Characterization of very-long-period seismicity accompanying summit activity at Kilauea volcano, Hawai’i: 2007–2013. JVGR 278–279:59–85

    Google Scholar 

  • Domański B (2007) Source parameters of the 2004 Kaliningrad earthquakes. Acta Geophysica 55(3):267–287

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duda S, Kaiser D (1989) Spectral magnitudes, magnitude spectra and earthquake quantification; the stability issue of the corner period and of the maximum magnitude for a given earthquake. Tectonophysics 166(1–3):205215–211219

    Google Scholar 

  • Duda S, Xu S (1988) Broad-band seismograms, band-pass seismograms, and spectral magnitudes for a selection of 1978-1983 explosions–comparison with worldwide earthquakes. Inst Geophys Univ Hamburg

  • El-Isa Z, Shanti A (1989) Seismicity and tectonics of the Red Sea and western Arabia. Geophys J Int 97(3):449–457

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eshelby JD (1957) The determination of the elastic field of an ellipsoidal inclusion, and related problems. Proc R Soc Lond A

  • Giannopoulos D, Sokos E, Konstantinou KI, Tselentis G (2015) Shear wave splitting and VP/VS variations before and after the Efpalio earthquake sequence, western Gulf of Corinth, Greece. GJI 200:1436–1448

    Google Scholar 

  • Grandin R, SOcquet A, Binet R, Klinger Y, Jacques E, de Chabalier J-B, King GCP, Lasserre C, Tait S, Tapponnier P, Delorme A, Pinzuti P (2009) September 2005 Manda Hararo-Dabbahu rifting event, Afar (Ethiopia): constraints provided by geodetic data. J Geophys Res Solid Earth 114(B8)

  • Gritto R, Jarpe SP (2014) Temporal variations of Vp/Vs-ratio at the geysers geothermal field, USA. Geothermics 52:112–119

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hansen SE, Deshon HR, Moore-Driskell MM, AlAmri AM (2013) Investigating the P wave velocity structure beneath Harrat Lunayyir, northwestern Saudi Arabia, using double-difference tomography and earthquakes from the 2009 seismic swarm. J Geophys Res Solid Earth 118(9):4814–4826

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hill DP (1977) A model for earthquake swarms. J Geophys Res 82(8):1347–1352

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hanks T, Wyss M (1972) The use of body-wave spectra in the determination of seismic-source parameters. BSSA 62:561–589

  • Ibs-von Seht M, Plenefisch T, Klinge K (2008) Earthquake swarms in continental rifts—a comparison of selected cases in America, Africa and Europe. Tectonophysics 452(1–4):66–77

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jo E, Hong T-K (2013) V P/V S ratios in the upper crust of the southern Korean Peninsula and their correlations with seismic and geophysical properties. J Asian Earth Sci 66:204–214

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson PR (2006) Explanatory notes to the map of Proterozoic geology of Western Saudi Arabia. Technical Report SGS-Tr-2006-4

  • Kaviris G, Millas C, Spingos L, Kapetanidis V, Fountoulakis I, Papadimitriou P, Voulgaris N, Makropoulos K (2018) Observations of shear-wave splitting parameters in the Western Gulf of Corinth focusing on the 2014 Mw=5.0 earthquake. PEPI 282:60–76

    Google Scholar 

  • Kiratzi A, Soks E, Ganas A, Tselentis A, Benetatos C, Roumelioti Z, Serpetsidaki A, Andriopoulos G, Galanis O, Petrou P (2008) The April 2007 earthquake swarm near Lake Trichonis and implications for active tectonics in western Greece. Tectonophysics 452(1):51–65

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kisslinger C, Engdahl E (1973) The interpretation of the Wadati diagram with relaxed assumptions. BSSA 63(5):1723–1736

    Google Scholar 

  • Koulakov I, ElKhrepy S, Al-Arifi N, Sychev I, Kuznetsov P (2014) Evidence of magma activation beneath the Harrat Lunayyir basaltic field (Saudi Arabia) from attenuation tomography. Solid Earth 5(2):873–882

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koulakov I, ElKhrepy S, Al-Arifi N, Kuznetsov P, Kasatkina E (2015) Structural cause of a missed eruption in the Harrat Lunayyir basaltic field (Saudi Arabia) in 2009. Geology 43(5):395–398

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Levshin AL, Pisarenko VF, Pogrebinsky GA (1972) Frequency-time analysis of oscillations. Annales de Geophysique, Editions CNRS 20/22 Rue ST. Amand, 75015 Paris, France

  • Londoño JM (2010) Activity and VP/VS ratio of volcano-tectonic seismic swarm zones at Nevado del Ruiz Volcano, Colombia. Earth Sci Res J 14:111–124

    Google Scholar 

  • Lopes AEV, Assumpcão M (2011) Genetic algorithm inversion of the average 1D crustal structure using local and regional earthquakes. Comput Geosci 37:1372–1380

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maggi C, Frepoli A, Cimini GB, Console R, Chiappini M (2009) Recent seismicity and crustal stress field in the Lucanian Apennines and surrounding areas (Southern Italy): Seismotectonic implications. Tectonophysics 463:130–144

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McNutt SR (2005) Volcanic seismology. Annu Rev Earth Planet Sci 32:461–491

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moretti M, De Gori P, Chiarabba C (2009) Earthquake relocation and three-dimensional V p and V p/V s models along the low angle Alto Tiberina Fault (Central Italy): evidence for fluid overpressure. Geophys J Int 176(3):833–846

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mukhopadhyay B, Mogren S, Mukhopadhyay M, Dasgupta S (2012) Incipient status of dyke intrusion in top crust – evidences from the Al-Ays 2009 earthquake swarm, Harrat Lunayyir, SW Saudi Arabia. Geomat Nat Haz Risk:1–19

  • Nakajima J, Matsuzawa T, Hasegawa A, Zhao D (2001) Three-dimensional structure of Vp, Vs, and Vp/Vs beneath northeastern Japan: implications for arc magmatism and fluids. JGR Solid Earth 106(B10):21843–21857

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neuberg JW, Tuffen H, Collier L, Green D, Powell T, Dingwell D (2006) The trigger mechanism of low-frequency earthquakes on Montserrat. JVGR 153(1):37–50

    Google Scholar 

  • Nobile A, Pagli C, Keir D, Wright TJ, Ayele A, Ruch J, Acocella V (2012) Dike-fault interaction during the 2004 Dallol intrusion at the northern edge of the Erta Ale Ridge (Afar, Ethiopia). GRL 39(19)

  • Ojeda A, Havskov J (2001) Crustal structure and local seismicity in Colombia. J Seismol 5(4):575–593

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pallister JS, Mccausland WA, Johnson S, Lu Z, Zahran HM, Hadidy SE, Aburukbah A, Stewart ICF, Lundgren PR, White RA, Moufti MRH (2010) Broad accommodation of rift-related extension recorded by dyke intrusion in Saudi Arabia. Nat Geosci 3:705–712

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prieto G, Shearer PM, Vernon FL, Kilb D (2004) Earthquake source scaling and self-similarity estimation from stacking P and S spectra. J Geophys Res 109:1–13 B08310

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pedersen R., Sigmundsson F, Einarsson P (2007) Controlling factors on earthquake swarms associated with magmatic intrusions: Constraints from Iceland. JVGR 162:73-80

  • Ripepe M, Piccinini D, Chiaraluce L (2000) Foreshock sequence of the September 26th, 1997 Umbria-Marche earthquakes. JOS 4:387–399

    Google Scholar 

  • Rodgers A, Walter W, Mellors R, Al-Amri A, Zhang Y (1999) Lithospheric structure of the Arabian Shield and Platform from complete regional waveform modelling and surface wave group velocities. Geophys J Int 138:871–878

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sandvol E, Seber D, Barazangi M, Vernon F, Mellors R, Al-Amri A (1998) Lithospheric seismic velocity discontinuities beneath the Arabian Shield. GRL 25:2873–2876

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saul J (1995) A computer program (nfilter) for spectral seismogram calculation. Institute of Geophysics, Hamburg University, Hamburg

    Google Scholar 

  • Sychev I, Koulakov I, ElKhrepy S, Al-Arifi N (2017) Pathways of volatile migration in the crust beneath Harrat Lunayyir (Saudi Arabia) during the unrest in 2009 revealed by attenuation tomography. JVGR 330:1–13

    Google Scholar 

  • Tang Z, Julià J, Zahran H, Mai PM (2016) The lithospheric shear-wave velocity structure of Saudi Arabia: young volcanism in an old shield. Tectonophysics 680:8–27

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tuffen H, Dingwell D (2005) Fault textures in volcanic conduits: evidence for seismic trigger mechanisms during silicic eruptions. Bull Volcanol 67:370–387

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ukawa M, Fukao Y (1981) Poisson’s ratios on the upper and lower crust and the sub-Moho mantle beneath central Honshu, Japan. Tectonophysics 77:233–256

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wessel P, Smith WH (1998) New, improved version of Generic Mapping Tools released. EOS Trans Am Geophys Union 79:579–579

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilde-Piorko M, Duda S, Grad M (2011) Frequency analysis of the 2004 Sumatra–Andaman earthquake using spectral seismograms. Acta Geophysica 59(3):483–501. https://doi.org/10.2478/s11600-011-0010-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wright TJ, Ebinger C, Biggs J, Ayele A, Yirgu G, Keir D, Stork A (2006) Magma-maintained rift segmentation at continental rupture in the 2005 Afar dyking episode. Nature 442:291–294

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zobin VM, Al-Amri AM, Fnais M (2013) Seismicity associated with active, new-born, and re-awakening basaltic volcanoes: case review and the possible scenarios for the Harraat volcanic provinces, Saudi Arabia. Arab J Geosci 6(2):529–541

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the Saudi Geological Survey (SGS) for providing the broadband seismic data. The authors would like to extend their sincere appreciation to the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Saud University for funding this Research group no. (RG-1437-010). Generic Mapping Tools developed by Wessel and Smith (1998) was used for most data mapping.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ali K. Abdelfattah.

Additional information

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Abdelfattah, A.K., de Lorenzo, S., Almadani, S. et al. Another look at the 2009 seismic activity, Harrat Lunayyir, Saudi Arabia. J Seismol 23, 801–818 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10950-019-09835-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10950-019-09835-0

Keywords

Navigation