Vol 51, No 6 (2017)

The estimated rates of upper mantle sublithospheric flows in the Hawaii–Emperor Range and Ethiopia–Arabia–Caucasus systems are reported. In the Hawaii–Emperor Range system, calculation is based on motion of the asthenospheric flow and the plate moved by it over the branch of the Central Pacific plume. The travel rate has been determined based on the position of variably aged volcanoes (up to 76 Ma) with respect to the active Kilauea Volcano. As for the Ethiopia–Arabia–Caucasus system, the age of volcanic eruptions (55–2.8 Ma) has been used to estimate the asthenospheric flow from the Ethiopian–Afar superplume in the northern bearing lines. Both systems are characterized by variations in a rate of the upper mantle flows in different epochs from 4 to 12 cm/yr, about 8 cm/yr on average. Analysis of the global seismic tomographic data has made it possible to reveal rock volumes with higher seismic wave velocities under ancient cratons; rocks reach a depth of more than 2000 km and are interpreted as detached fragments of the thickened continental lithosphere. Such volumes on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean were submerged at an average velocity of 0.9–1.0 cm/yr along with its opening. The estimated rates of the mantle flows clarify the deformation properties of the mantle and regulate the numerical models of mantle convection.

The paper presents a comparative description of two large mountain systems in the intracontinental Eurasian Orogen: the Hissar (Gissar)–Alay Mountain Domain (MD) and the Pamirs (or Pamir). It has been established that the Hissar–Alay MD and the Pamirs substantially differ in morphostructure, geometry, tectonic style, the set of kinematic parageneses, sequence of events, and the manifestation of magmatism, metamorphism, and recent orogeny. These regions belong to different segments of the Earth’s crust. In other words, they represent two distinct historical–structural–geological provinces belonging to different mobile belts of Asia: the Hissar–Alay MD is incorporated into the structure of the Central Asian (Ural–Mongolia) Belt in contrast to the Pamirs, which is a constituent of the Alpine–Himalayan Belt. The Hissar (Gissar)–Alay MD and the Pamirs formed independently and did not reveal significant geodynamic interaction.

The first results on current movements are presented for the western part of the Dzhugdzhur–Stanovoi Terrane based on GPS geodesy of a geodynamic survey area of the Upper Amur region. Processing of the GPS data resulted in a vector field of the displacement rates of points of the geodynamic survey area with zones of intense deformations. It was concluded from a comprehensive analysis of geological–geophysical data and estimates of the displacement rates that the terrane is characterized by kinematic integrity and was subjected to a complex of tectonic factors related to the evolution of the eastern segment of Baikal Rift Zone in the area of transpression interaction of the Eurasian and Amur plates.

Based on seismological, geodynamic, and seismotectonic data on a series of strong earthquakes which occurred in 2016–2017 in central Italy, the tectonic positions and geological manifestations of these events are determined. The aftershock processes of these earthquakes are studied. It is found that epicentral clouds of mainshocks and aftershocks almost overlapped each other, so these earthquake sources in aggregate can be classified as a high-magnitude earthquake swarm.

The North Anatolian Fault (NAF) is a 1200 km long dextral strike-slip fault which is part of an east-west trending dextral shear zone (NAF system) between the Anatolian and Eurasian plates. The North Anatolian shear zone widens to the west, complicating potential earthquake rupture paths and highlighting the importance of understanding the geometry of active fault systems. In the central portion of the NAF system, just west of the town of Bolu, the NAF bifurcates into the northern and southern strands, which converge, then diverge to border the Marmara Sea. At their convergence east of the Marmara Sea, these two faults are linked through the Mudurnu Valley. The westward continuation of these two fault traces is marked by further complexities in potential active fault geometry, particularly in the Marmara Sea for the northern strand, and towards the Biga Peninsula for the southern strand. Potential active fault geometries for both strands of the NAF are evaluated by comparing stress models of various fault geometries in these regions to a record of focal mechanisms and inferred paleostress from a lineament analysis. For the Marmara region, the best-fit active fault geometry consists of the northern and southern bounding faults of the Marmara basin, as the model representing this geometry better replicated primary stress orientations seen in focal mechanism data and stress field interpretations. In the Biga Peninsula region, the active geometry of the southern strand has the southern fault merging with the northern fault through a linking fault in a narrow topographic valley. This geometry was selected over the other two as it best replicated the maximum horizontal stresses determined from focal mechanism data and a lineament analysis.