Seismicity in Yemen and the Gulf of Aden in a geological context.

Abstract

The study presents geologic investigation of Yemen and the Gulf of Aden with a special focus on geophysical, seismic, tectonic and topographic mapping performed by the integrated approach of QGIS and GMT scripting. Cartographic visualization is crucial in geologic analysis, data processing and prognosis of mineral resource prospects. The region of Yemen and Gulf of Aden was formed as a result of Arabian and African plates movements and still tectonically active. Besides, the Gulf of Aden contains mineral resources of hydrocarbons which makes this region actual for investigation. The IRIS database on earthquakes was used for visualization of the magnitude of submarine earthquakes in the Gulf of Aden for the period of 2007-2020. The paper presents 6 new thematic maps for the region of Yemen and Gulf of Aden. The research presented an analysis of correlation between the geological, topographic and geophysical settings. Through combined approach of cartographic high-resolution data visualization and geologic analysis, this paper contributed to the regional geological studies of Yemen, Gulf of Aden and the Middle East.