E. OROS
NIEP / Seismological Research Department, Research Group Timisoara, Mircea
cel Batrân St.,
bl. 45, ap. 8, 1900 Timisoara, Romania; e-mail: eoros@mail.com.
Starting with 19 April 2002, a series of crustal earthquakes occurred near
the Romanian – Serbian border, South of the Banat seismic region, into
the Danube seismogenic zone. Until the end of August 2002, the stations of
the Banat seismic network recorded 70 earthquakes (1.8 
MD 4.8) with the epicenters clustered within a small area, elongated in North-South
direction
and located near the town of Moldova Noua. In this time interval, two main-shocks
occurred, on 24 May 2002 (MD = 4.8) and on 2 August 2002 (MD =
4.6). Significant damages (Io = VI-VII MSK) were reported in the epicentral
(Moldova
Noua) area.
Temporal distribution of the earthquakes indicates at least three stages of
strain release. The focal mechanisms derived from P first-motion polarities,
obtained for the first time for the Moldova Noua area, exhibit: i) a dominant
normal faulting (23 May 2002, MD = 3.8) and ii) a strike-slip faulting
with a large normal component (for the two largest events). The fault plane
oriented
N–S and dipping around 60 degrees to the West is practically identical
for all three events. The sequence appears to have occurred on the southern
segment
of the Oravita Fault.
Key words: Danube seismogenic zone, Banat Seismic Network, focal mechanism solutions, Oravita Fault, macroseismic intensities, seismotectonics.