Re-examining the stress field of the broader southern Aegean subduction area using an updated focal mechanism database

Abstract

We have employed the data of EGELADOS temporary network (October 2005-April 2007) to determine 88 focal mechanism solutions from Southern Aegean Sea using the RAPIDINV algorithm (Cesca et al., 2010). The new focal mechanism solutions determined, complemented with the previously available ones for Southern Aegean Seα provide the basis for a detailed examination of the stress field, using the distribution of P and T axes. To obtain the stress field we applied the method of Gephart and Forsyth (1984), namely the grid search inversion approach of Gephart (1990a,b), which incorporates the P and T axes of selected focal mechanisms. For the inversion, the initial stress solutions were computed by the “average” kinematic P and T-axis approach of Papazachos and Kiratzi (1992). The stress-inversion allows choosing the "ideal" fault plane corresponding to the minimum misfit rotation about an axis of general orientation which is needed to match an observed fault plane/slip direction with one consistent with the final stress model.