[1] A shoreline uplift marked by a continuous white band visible at rocky headlands occurred during the 21 May 2003 earthquake (Mw 6.8) in northern Algeria. We measured the amount of coastal uplift on a white band (emerged algae) and harbors quays between Boumerdes and Dellys. Most of measured points were collected using tape and differential GPS on rocky headlands with s ± 0.15 m error bar (tidal prism). Leveling lines running parallel and orthogonal to the coast also provide the precise amount of uplift in the epicentral area. The uplift distribution shows an average 0.55 m along the shoreline with a maximum 0.75 m east of Boumerdes and a minimum close to 0 near Cap Djinet. The active deformation related to a thrust fault is modeled along the $55 km coastline. The dislocation model predicts surface slip on a N 54°E trending reverse fault, dipping 50°S E in agreement with CMT solution and coastal uplift. The faulting characteristics imply a fault geometry with possible sea bottom ruptures between 5 to 10 km offshore.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.