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Vol 52, No 2 (2016)
- Year: 2016
- Articles: 6
- URL: https://journals.rcsi.science/0747-9239/issue/view/10943
Article
Traces of strong earthquakes of the 9th century in the ruins of Dvin, ancient Armenian Capital
Abstract
The results of an archeoseismological investigation of the Dvin (ancient Armenian capital) ruins are presented. Multiple occasions of seismogenic damage and destructions have been revealed in the remains of walls, including places where they are tilted or pushed out, or fragments and particular stone blocks are rotated. The extensive cracks that run through several blocks have also been found. The identified systematics in how deformations occurred suggests that the epicenter of the ancient earthquake that struck Dvin in the late 9th century was located close to the city. Most likely, the western termination of an unnamed east-tonortheast trending fault (situated north of the city) was ruptured.
99-110
Earthquakes in northeastern Russia during the preinstrumental period of observations
Abstract
The parameters of earthquakes in northeast of Russia that occurred in 1735–1910 and were published in New Catalog of Earthquakes in USSR from Ancient Times trough 1975 have been specified based on the initial data presented (1977). Special attention has been paid to the conformity between the initial data, the available solution methods, and the resulting parameter values. The macroseismic data from the preinstrumental and instrumental observational periods have been compared.
111-134
On the selection of ground motion prediction equations during the assessment of seismic hazard in stable continental regions
Abstract
In the last decade, the number of ground motion prediction equations (GMPEs) significantly increased due to the higher quality and expansion of networks recording strong ground motions throughout the world. Therefore, the key point in seismic hazard assessment is the selection of a suitable ground motion prediction equation. This work presents the review of the modern state of the problem, the discussion of the criteria for selecting the models to include in the logic tree. The models chosen as part of the big international projects for stable continental regions are described in more detail. Several models have been proposed for use in the stable regions of the central part of the Russian Federation and have been compared. Despite numerous attempts to develop the formal criteria for the selection of a certain model, the construction of the logic tree for each particular problem is based on the expert opinions.
135-143
Current state and prospects of the development of an Arctic seismic monitoring system
Abstract
The expansion of industrial and defense activities in the Arctic as part of the execution of a state program on the development of its territory requires seismic safety assurance of constructed and existing critical facilities. The data presented in this paper show that the current understanding of the seismicity of the Arctic and particularly of its shelf given in building regulations is quite simplistic and does not reflect the complexity of the situation and the intensity of expected seismic effects. To a large extent, safety problems can be solved by the seismic monitoring of the area. For this purpose, it is necessary to expand existing networks of seismic stations, to equip them with tools for monitoring groups, and to increase the number of island seismic stations. The primary task is to refine the seismic zoning of Arctic territories based on the new data.
144-153
Archeoseismological investigation of the Kurmenty medieval settlement site, northeastern Issyk-Kul region, Kyrgyzstan
Abstract
Archeoseismological studies of the Kurmenty settlement have proved the seismogenic origin of the deformation in the walls at this site. The radiocarbon age of the first seismic event damaged the walls of the settlement is 7th century AD. The second seismic event occurred a few centuries later, probably in the late Middle Ages. The strongest seismic events of North Tien Shan occurred in the late 19th–early 20th century as the Chilik (1889, M = 8.4) and Kebin (1911, M = 7.9) also damaged the walls of the Kurmenty settlement. The local shaking intensity during these seismic events was I ≥ VII on MSK-64 scale.
154-163
Ancient destructive earthquakes in Chersonesus Taurica and their importance for a long-term seismic hazard assessment of the Southwestern Crimea region
Abstract
Continuing the author’s earlier works, the signs of ancient destructive earthquakes in the southwest Crimea have been collected and analyzed. These signs are considered using archeoseismological method based on the data of multiannual archeological excavations at Chersonesus Taurica and agricultural hinterland around it (chora) separately on each period of total destruction, reconstruction and new construction, and on structures of different purposes and degrees of earthquake-resistance (defensive structures, large civil buildings, dwellings, fortified estates, necropolises, and burials). Indirect signs are also involved. Both direct and indirect signs unambiguously contribute to form the general scenarios of considerable destruction in the polis and its chora, with the disturbance of entire socioeconomic life, which occurred in 340(±20) and 105(±5) BC as a result of strong earthquakes with I = VIII–IX (on MSK-64 scale). Based on the results of earlier works on destructive earthquakes of a later historical period in mind, the seismic potential of the Sevastopol source zone has been estimated.
164-194