Theory Of Earthquake Origin Location And Its Application In The Ethiopian Western Plateau

Abstract

Earthquakes registered on the same day by a network of stations were assumed to come from the same source or event. Matrix equations were developed using simple geometry laws and standard empirical relationships governing tremors in Ethiopia. The solutions of these equations yielded 71 epicenters. The plot of the epicenters revealed two major sources, one a fault plane running from NW plane into NE plane and the other appears to be an area source in the SW plane. The mean value of epicenters located in the NE plane is (N 15.030, E 47.080) which is in the vicinity of Ethiopia and these epicenters can be designated as the sources of tremors that occurred in Ethiopia on 1 June 1961.

Key words: Earthquakes, Epicenters, Fault.


(Global Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences: 2002 8(2): 279-285)