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The history of seismology and historical seismicity in Algeria: an overview

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Abstract

Algeria is one of the most seismically active areas along the Nubia-Eurasia convergent plates boundary. It is well known that the instrumental records of seismic events are incomplete because of inadequate instrumentation and the poor coverage of seismogenic areas from 1900 until the installation in 1992 of the Algerian Telemetered Seismological Network. The available catalogues of the seismicity of Algeria, including several published research papers on the same topic, reported numerous destructive earthquakes striking several regions, particularly along the coast [Oran, Mascara, Chlef (Former Orléansville and El Asnam), Tipasa-Chenoua, Algiers, Zemmouri, Constantine, Béjaia, Djidjelli (5.9 < M < 7.3; IX < Io < X]. This seismicity is the result of the collision between the Nubia and Eurasian plates and is located within the Algerian Tell Atlas. To properly study the seismicity of Algeria, we must consider three periods in relation to the installation of the seismic instrumentation over the Algerian territory: (1) the pre-1910 period with the first published seismic catalogues, (2) the post-1910 period with the beginning of the instrumental seismicity and, finally, (3) the post-1980 period with the installation of the Algerian Teleseismic Network in 1990 and its upgrade following the Zemmouri earthquake of May 21st 2003.

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Aknowledgements

Thanks are due to FCT for the financial support to the Instituto de Ciências da Terra (ICT) project (UID/GEO/04683/2013) with the reference POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007690. We would like to thank, also, the Editor in Chief, Prof. Attila Çiner, and the two anonymous reviewers for improved the manuscript.

Funding

This study was funded, partialy, by the Instituto de Ciências da Terra (ICT), University of Évora, project (UID/GEO/04683/2013) with the reference POCI-01–0145-FEDER- 007690. However, this research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Physics Department, School of Sciences and Technology, Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Évora, Évora, Portugal

    Mourad Bezzeghoud

  2. Centre de Recherche en Astronomie Astrophysique et Géophysique, Seismological, Studies Division, Algiers, Algeria

    Abdelhakim Ayadi

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  1. Mourad Bezzeghoud
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  2. Abdelhakim Ayadi
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Correspondence to Mourad Bezzeghoud.

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No conflict exists, Mourad Bezzeghoud declares that he has no conflict of interest and Abdelhakim Ayadi declares that he has no conflict of interest. The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

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We dedicate this study in memory of late Dr. Assia Harbi, an expert in Historical Seismology.

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Bezzeghoud, M., Ayadi, A. The history of seismology and historical seismicity in Algeria: an overview. Med. Geosc. Rev. 4, 361–381 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42990-022-00083-y

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