Seismic and tectonic activity of faults on the south slope of the NW Caucasus

RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF EARTH SCIENCES VOL. 4, NO. 3, PAGES 233–241, doi:10.2205/2002ES000095, 2002

Seismic and tectonic activity of faults on the south slope of the NW Caucasus

E. A. Rogozhin, S. L. Yunga, A. V. Marakhanov, E. A. Ushanova, and N. A. Dvoretskaya

Schmidt United Institute of Physics of the Earth, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

A. N. Ovsyuchenko

Geological Department, Rostov State University, Rostov, Russia

Abstract

[1] Paleoseismologic studies of recent years on the southern slope of the Northwest Caucasus show major earthquakes of up to M 7.0 to have occurred in the past in the number of geologically active fault zones. Recurrence interval of such seismic events is on the order of 2000 years. The rate of geologic displacement (creep) on the faults over the past 100 years is assessed at 1.5 to 2.0 mm/yr.

Received 6 May 2002; published 16 May 2002.

Keywords: seismic and tectonic activity, NW Caucasus faults, paleoseismologic studies.

Citation: Rogozhin, E. A., S. L. Yunga, A. V. Marakhanov, E. A. Ushanova, N. A. Dvoretskaya, and A. N. Ovsyuchenko (2002), Seismic and tectonic activity of faults on the south slope of the NW Caucasus, Russ. J. Earth Sci., 4, No.3, 233-241, doi:10.2205/2002ES000095.