Assessment of Source Parameters of Qeshm 2005 Earthquake Based on InSAR Observation Inversion Using Genetic Algorithm

An earthquake with the magnitude of 5.9 ML shocked the Qeshm island located in the Persian Gulf on 27 November, 2005 at 13:53:22 local time. The earthquake occurred due to the reactivation of a NE-SW fault with a major reverse mechanism accompanied by a minor strike-slip component. Another earthquake of 5.5 MW occurred on the same day at ca. 20:00 local time. The interesting feature of this earthquake is that the calculated mechanism for its strongest aftershock, which occurred ca. 6 hours after the main-shock, was a strike-slip mechanism that is completely different the pure reverse mechanism for the main-shock. This study uses inversion of InSAR observation of earth surface displacement field boundary values to solve parameters of these 2 earthquakes. The results show activation of southern part of the Qeshm fault caused by the first earthquake along 7 km of its length. This event induced the second earthquake by activation of another strike-slip fault which is parallel to the Gavarzin anticline. Estimated slip was 96 cm for the first earthquake and 9 cm for the second one. Based on the estimated parameters of the these 2 earthquakes, the maximum displacement induced by the first earthquake was 6.7 cm in west, 4.6 cm in south and 16.4 cm in vertical directions on the earth surface. The maximum displacement of the second earthquake in west, south and vertical directions were 1.3, 1.6 and 1.4 cm respectively.