European continuous active tectonic strain–stress map

Abstract

This paper shows a new continuous strain–stress map for Europe obtained from the direct inversion of earthquake focal mechanisms calculated from the centroid tensor method. A total of 1608 focal mechanisms have been selected with several quality criteria from different catalogues (CMT Harvard, ETH, Med-Net, I.G.N. and I.A.G.) from 1973 to the present day. Values for the maximum horizontal shortening direction and brittle strain–stress regime defined by the k′ ratio (ey/ez, horizontal maximum/vertical strain) have been calculated following in Europe and Pannonian Basin the slip model of tri-axial deformation. The individual results including Dey and the shape of the active brittle strain ellipsoid have been interpolated to a final 15′ regular grid taking into account the relationship between the tectonic horizontal strain–stress value and the vertical load. Both continuous strain regime and maximum horizontal shortening (Dey) maps show a good correlation with the primary tectonic forces generated along the plate boundaries, plate kinematics and also some local perturbations related with main crustal heterogeneities and topography, as well as significant spatial variations in integrated crustal strength.