Seismicity in the Antarctic and surrounding ocean

• Main Author: Katsutada Kaminuma
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antarctic; Deception Island; Pacific; The Antarctic; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.578.7560; http://www.igu.in/10-1/2.pdf

Seismicity in the Antarctic and surrounding ocean is evaluated based on the data compiled by the International Seismological Centre for the period 1964- 2002. The Antarctic continent and surrounding ocean were believed to be one of the aseismic regions of the Earth for many decades. However, after the development of Global Seismic Networks and local seismic arrays, a number of tectonic earthquakes have been detected in and around the Antarctic Continent. Antarctica and the surrounding ocean has been divided into a total of 13 seismic areas, 3 for the continental region and another 10 for the oceanic region. Wilks Land is the most active area in the Antarctic Continent; where several small earthquakes were detected and located. In the ocean surrounding Antarctica, the seismic activity in 120°-60°W sector is three times lager than the other oceanic areas. This is probably due to stress concentration towards the Easter Island Triple Junction among Antarctic Plate, Pacific Plate and Nazuca micro-Plate. Three volcanic areas, namely the Deception Island, Mt. Erebus and Mt. Melbourn, are seismically active.