- 1Geological Survey of Slovenia, Ljubljana, Slovenia (petra.jamsek@geo-zs.si)
- 2Department of Archeology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
- 3Gearh d.o.o., Maribor, Slovenia
- 4Institute of Geosciences, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Germany
- 5Leibniz Institute for Applied Geophysics LIAG Hannover, Germany
- 6Department of Geosciences, University of Tübingen, Germany
- 7Department of Geology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
The Sava Fault, a prominent structure within the Periadriatic Fault System in the Slovenian Southern Alps, plays a key role in the deformation partitioning of the Adria–Europe collision zone. However, many aspects of its activity remain inadequately constrained, including its slip rate and seismic history. In this study, we employed an interdisciplinary approach to investigate the late Quaternary activity of a short section of the fault, combining high-resolution lidar and photogrammetric digital elevation models, remote sensing analysis, geomorphological and structural-geological mapping, near-surface geophysics including electrical resistivity tomography and ground-penetrating radar, and optically stimulated luminescence dating.
Our results reveal subtle geomorphic indicators of fault activity and near-surface deformation, despite the challenges posed by dense vegetation, intense surface processes, and low slip rates. We estimate a slip rate of 1.8 ± 0.4 mm/a for the last 27 ka, exceeding previous long-term geomorphological and recent GNSS estimates, suggesting temporal variability in fault behavior. This variability aligns with observations from the Dinaric Fault System in the northwestern Dinarides, suggesting possible regional deformation patterns.
Our findings advance the understanding of fault dynamics and deformation processes in this low-strain environment, highlighting the seismic hazard potential of the Sava Fault. They also emphasize the importance of modern high-resolution remote sensing techniques and interdisciplinary approaches in studying faults with subtle geomorphic expressions. These results provide a foundation for future paleoseismological investigations to constrain the seismic history of the fault and refine regional seismic hazard assessments.
Reference: Jamšek Rupnik, P., Atanackov, J., Horn, B., Mušič, B., Zajc, M., Grützner, C., Ustaszewski, K., Tsukamoto, S., Novak, M., Milanič, B., Markelj, A., Ivančič, K., Novak, A., Jež, J., Žebre, M., Bavec, M., Vrabec, M. 2024. Revealing subtle active tectonic deformation: integrating lidar, photogrammetry, field mapping, and geophysical surveys to assess the Late Quaternary activity of the Sava Fault (Southern Alps, Slovenia). Remote sensing, 16, 9: 33 p. DOI: 10.3390/rs16091490.
How to cite: Jamšek Rupnik, P., Atanackov, J., Horn, B., Mušič, B., Zajc, M., Grützner, C., Ustaszewski, K., Tsukamoto, S., Novak, M., Milanič, B., Markelj, A., Ivančič, K., Novak, A., Jež, J., Žebre, M., Bavec, M., and Vrabec, M.: Interdisciplinary investigation of late Quaternary activity of the Sava Fault in the Slovenian Southern Alps, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-7549, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-7549, 2025.
