The Boumerdes earthquake occurred on a fault whose precise location, offshore the Algerian coast, was unknown. Geodetic data are used to determine the absolute position of the fault. The fault might emerge at about 15 km offshore. Accelerograms are used to infer the space-time history of the rupture using a two-step inversion in the spectral domain. The observed strong motion records agree with the synthetics for the fault location inferred from geodetic data. The fault plane ruptured for about 18 seconds. The slip distribution on the fault indicates one asperity northwest of the hypocenter with maximum slip amplitude about 3 m. This asperity is probably responsible for most of the damage. Another asperity with slightly smaller slip amplitude is located southeast of the hypocenter. The rupture stops its westward propagation close to the Thenia fault, a structure almost perpendicular to the main fault.