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Spatial and Temporary Changes of the Prevailing Types of Block Structure Movements of the Javakheti Highland

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Abstract

The focal mechanisms of earthquakes in the Javakheti Highland for the period 1971–2015 were constructed for separate time intervals: 1971–1973, 2001–2004, 2006–2009, 2010–2012, and 2013–2015. The method of averaged mechanisms was used, which jointly processed data on the distribution of the signs of the first P-wave arrivals of Javakheti Highland earthquakes with various energies. As a result of comparing the obtained focal solutions with the tectonic structure of this region, five blocks with different directions of compression–extension forces were identified along the boundaries of active faults in the study area. The prevailing types of slip in earthquake foci in each block for each of the above time intervals were identified. The nature of the source mechanisms for weak earthquakes that preceded the 1986 Paravan earthquake was studied. It was established that shortly before this event, the prevailing type of slip changed from shear to reverse-fault with a shear component.

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Funding

The study was carried out under the state task of IPE RAS (topic no. 0144-2019-0011).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Geophysics and Engineering Seismology, National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, 3115, Gyumri, Armenia

    K. S. Kazaryan & A. M. Avetisyan

  2. Schmidt Institute of Physics of the Earth, Russian Academy of Sciences, 123995, Moscow, Russia

    V. Yu. Burmin

Authors
  1. K. S. Kazaryan
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  2. V. Yu. Burmin
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  3. A. M. Avetisyan
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Correspondence to V. Yu. Burmin.

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Kazaryan, K.S., Burmin, V.Y. & Avetisyan, A.M. Spatial and Temporary Changes of the Prevailing Types of Block Structure Movements of the Javakheti Highland. Seism. Instr. 56, 213–224 (2020). https://doi.org/10.3103/S0747923920020061

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