Russian Journal of Earth Sciences
Vol. 6, No. 4, August 2004
Ancient earthquake dislocations in the area of Elbrus Volcano, North
Caucasus
E. A. Rogozhin1, A. G. Gurbanov2,
A. V. Marakhanov1,
A. N. Ovsyuchenko1, A. V. Spiridonov1,
and E. E. Burkanov1
1United Institute of Physics of the Earth, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
2Institute of Geology of Ore Deposits, Petrography, Mineralogy, and Geochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
Abstract
New data have been obtained for the ancient, previously unknown large earthquakes
that occurred during the Holocene in the central Caucasus region in the vicinity
of Elbrus Volcano. The
radiocarbon datings of the paleoseismic dislocations and the dating of the products
of the old eruptions of
the volcano suggest that at least four large eruptions of the volcano and four earthquakes
with magnitudes
of 6.5-7.0 had occurred during the last 7 thousand years. Although no synchronism
has been found between
the volcanic and seismic events, some earthquakes might have been associated with
particular large
eruptions.