THE SEISMICITY RELATED TO THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE KENYA RIFT

In 1990 the Geology Department of the University of Nairobi started to build up a seismological network for Kenya, which has been operating since 1993. In this paper the actual state of this seismological netwo rk is described. Additionally, the first results on the seismic activi ty in the southern part of Kenya and adjacent areas between October 19 93 and August 1996 are presented and are compared with historical data . Out of more than 2000 recorded local earthquakes 435 could be locali sed within the study area with local magnitudes of up to 5. The distri bution of the events shows three areas of prominent seismicity: the Ri ft Valley between Nakuru and northern Tanzania; the area northeast of Kilimanjaro; and the Nyanza Rift in western Kenya. In a first attempt to assess the seismic hazard for the study area, a seismic energy map for the period of observation is given. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Limi ted.