Digital seismograms recorded at seismic station of Lwiro, between August 1993 and March 1994, are used to investigate the spatial distribution of stress drop estimated following the spectral Brune's model in the Kivu region and its vicinities. It is revealed that a small stress drop (<=1) is observed in these zones. The high stress drops are observed in the granitic intrusion in the zone A and D (Idjwi Island) and B, on fracture linked Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira volcanoes, and the lowest is very scattered in the zone C, D and E. The study has revealed that the stress drops correlate with fault types as the high value corresponds to reverse faults in the zone B, and the lowest to normal and strike slip faults in other zones. The Idjwi Island also presents a high stress drop where three types of faulting appear. Small stress drops are attributed to strong barriers of seismic rupture or no long rupture propagation along the pre
The Nyamulagira volcano enters in eruption approximately each 2 years and the last eruption of November 06, 2011 was started 22 months after that of January 02, 2010. The aim of this work is the characterization of some aspects of seismicity prior the Nyamulagira eruption on 2011by temporal analysis of the hypocenters (epicenters and depths), earthquake number and spectral frequency. A temporal evolution showed that the seismicity rate, the hypocenters, the corner frequency and energies release vary and give a comprehension of the behavior of the volcanic activity. 10 months before the eruption, earthquakes were deep (10 - 30 km) and scattered with weak corner frequencies (< 2.6 Hz) in the field of Nyamulagira. That confirms a partial melt or deep magmatic intrusion with weak displacement. The magmatic migration starts between April and October 2011 with shallow earthquakes (0 - 5 km) and high corner frequency and high energy. This period prepares a pathway of magma to the surface. The frequency and energy were then higher in the last swarms of 04 and 05 November 2011, 2 days prior the eruption. This last seismicity denote at the same time a magmatic intrusion, a fracturing of the weakness zones and an extrusion of the lava at the surface. A deep investigation of these parameters on several eruptive cycles would facilitate the knowledge of the magmatic dynamics of Nyamulagira volcano and also the predictive approach of its eruptions.