The unusual seismic activity from 2021 to 2024 in eastern Austria: insights from seismic sequences relocation and moment tensor inversion

Abstract

From 2021 to 2024, unusually strong seismic activity, including multiple sequences with five 3.8 <= ML <= 4.6 shocks, struck the Vienna basin and Mur-M & uuml;rz fault systems in Eastern Austria. Three earthquakes (ML 4.6, 4.5, and 3.8) occurred between March and May 2021. These earthquakes were followed by an increase in seismic activity in March 2023, with an ML 4.3 earthquake to the southwest of the 2021 events. In February 2024, an ML 4.5 earthquake occurred 10 km southwest of the ML 4.3 in 2023. We investigate activated faults relying on nonlinear relocations of the seismic sequences and probabilistic moment tensor inversion. The seismic sequences' temporal evolution indicates a migration of seismic activity and a decrease of focal depths from northeast to southwest, suggesting a potential reactivation of the major fault systems in the region. The joint interpretation of the results shows distinct clusters along fault segments and focal mechanisms that match the region's complex tectonic activity.