Lithospheric structure and seismicity of the Rwenzori mountains as part of the Albertine rift system

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We propose a seismological experiment to study the velocity structure and seismicity of the Rwenzori region. A temporary network consisting of 25 seismic stations will be deployed in the area for a period of 18 months. The earthquake data that will be recorded during this time can be divided into two major groups: (a) Recordings from teleseismic events will be analyzed to image the structural details (seismic velocity, attenuation and anisotropy) of the crust and upper mantle in this region. This will provide important constraints for the modeling of geodynamic processes responsible for the formation of the Rwenzori mountains (Project D2). (b) Recordings of local earthquakes will be used to map active fault zones in the Rwenzori region. This will provide information on current tectonic movements and earthquake risk. The interpretation of our results will be performed in close cooperation with structural studies based on magnetotelluric investigations (Project A2). Our interpretation of seismic velocities and anisotropy will benefit from the proposed studies on mantle xenoliths (Project A3). During the second half of this 6-year project we plan to extend the experimental investigation to a larger area along the western branch of the East African Rift System (EARS), which is characterized by pronounced seismic activity. Previous large-scale seismological experiments have focused mainly on the less-active eastern branch.