Goharan earthquakes (۲۰۱۳, SE Iran) in western Makran accretionary wedge: An earthquake swarm or earthquake sequence?

Makran accretionary wedge as one of the largest accretionary wedges on the world, has been formed by the convergence between Arabian and Eurasian Plates. Twelve earthquakes with magnitudes Mw ≥ ۵.۰ occurred in May and July ۲۰۱۳ in a low seismicity small area of western Makran accretionary wedge, SE Iran. The focal mechanism solutions show dominated strike-slip type. These events occurred on an ENE striking fault that allows the almost oblique convergence (N۱۰ºE) to partition into deformation front-perpendicular motion on the subduction interface and deformation front-parallel motion on the Goharan fault. The aftershock sequence share common features with seismic swarm.

Keywords:

Earthquake sequence , Earthquake swarm , Strike-slip fault , Makran accretionary wedge