Seismicity in the Eastern Tellian Atlas of Algeria is active of moderate to
low magnitude. The direct identification of active fault is often a diffic
ult task. In fact, in this region, despite the intense seismicity, only the
Constantine earthquake of 27 October 1985 (M-s = 6.0) and the Kherrata ear
thquake of 17 February 1949 (M-b = 4.9), have generated surface ruptures. H
ence, the integration of both geological, historical and instrumental seism
ic data are important in order to characterise the most important seismogen
ic structures. This paper presents a preliminary overview of the identified
neotectonic faults that we consider active in the Eastern Tellian Atlas of
Algeria. Thus, seismicity and neotectonic maps are presented and the fault
s which are active or potentially active from a neotectonic point of view a
re shown in relation with the main seismic groupings. This study based main
ly on available seismic and bibliographic data and several unpublished mari
ne seismic data enable us to suspect a fault as the eventual source of the
Jijeli earthquake of 21 August 1856 that destroyed the Jijeli town and its
surroundings. The results inferred from this work represent a starting poin
t for more detailed studies in seismogenic areas.