Detailing the stress pattern in the area of central Ionian Islands

TL;DR

This paper investigates the stress patterns in the seismically active Kefalonia Transform Fault Zone in the central Ionian Islands, aiming to understand the tectonic interactions and earthquake dynamics in this complex boundary region.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of the stress distribution and interactions along the fault segments in the KTFZ, enhancing understanding of seismic activity in the area.

Findings

High crustal deformation rates identified

Frequent Mw>6.0 earthquakes linked to stress transfer

Stress interactions influence earthquake occurrence

Abstract

The Kefalonia Transform Fault Zone (KTFZ) is the most seismically active area in the Mediterranean and consists of two major branches, the Lefkada fault segment to the north and the Kefalonia fault segment to the south. KTFZ acts as an active boundary between the subduction zone of the remnants of the oceanic lithosphere of the Eastern Mediterranean that subducts under the Aegean microplate to the south and the continental collision between the Eurasian plate and the Adriatic Microplate to the north. The tectonic activity in the region is reflected in the rapid crustal deformation rates of the region and subsequently the frequent occurrence of strong earthquakes (Mw>6.0) that occurred during both the historical and instrumental era of seismology. Those strong earthquakes and their temporal distribution can be explained due to stress transfer between closely located fault segments (Papadimitriou, 2002) and as such, studying those stress interactions is an integral part of understanding the long-term tectonic loading in the region.