Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Seismic Activity and Structures of the Crust and Upper Mantle in the Areas of Source Zones of the Largest Earthquakes in the Altai–Sayan Region

  • Published:
Seismic Instruments Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The results of studies of the shear wave attenuation field in source zones of the 2003 Chuya, 1970 Ureg-Nur, 1991 Busingol, 2011 Sayan, and 2011–2012 Tuva earthquakes are presented. Attenuation fields in these source zones include blocks with a high Q-factor and linear weakened zones. The surface ruptures from the mainshocks of the 2003 Chuya and 2011–2012 Tuva earthquakes are located in the zones of strong attenuation. Epicenters of the mainshocks are located where the maximum contrast in attenuation is observed. In the source zones of large earthquakes in the Altai–Sayan region or near them, the zones similar to so-called seimogenic bodies described in the literature are found. These objects tend to linear zones with high attenuation and are characterized by an increased density of deepened earthquakes and also by deformations of near-vertical elongation. The obtained data suggest that the fluid factor could play certain role in the occurrence of large earthquakes in the Altai–Sayan region.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aptikaeva, O.I., The attenuation field in the source zones of strong earthquakes in Garm, Izv., Phys. Solid Earth, 2012a, vol. 48, no. 5, pp. 385–394.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aptikaeva, O.I., Variations in block structure and seismicity of the Garm Research Area in the background of nonuniform rotation of the Earth, Vopr. Inzh. Seismol., 2012b, vol. 39, no. 4, pp. 55–65.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aptikaeva, O.I., Migration of sources of small earthquakes in the Garm region and variations in velocity of the Earth’s rotation, Seism. Instrum., 2014, vol. 50, no. 4, pp. 269–277.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aptikaeva, O.I., On the relationship between seismic activity, structural peculiarities of the Earth’s crust and upper mantle, and rate of Earth’s rotation (case study of the Garm progostic site), Geodinamika, 2013a, vol. 2, pp. 87–89.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aptikaeva, O.I., On the relationship between seismic activity and structural peculiarities of the Earth’s crust and upper mantle in the Garm progostic site, in Aktual’nost’ idei G.A. Gamburtseva v geofizike XXI veka (Topicality of the Ideas by G.A. Gamburtsev in Geophysics of the 21st Century), Moscow: Yanus-K, 2013b, pp. 293–313.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aptikaeva, O.I., The attenuation field in the focal zone of the 2003 Altai earthquake, using the coda envelopes of the aftershocks, Seism. Instrum., 2015, vol. 51, no. 4, pp. 367–374.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Atlas of Seismotectonics in Central Asia, Beijing, 2013.

  • Bijwaard, H., Spakman, W., and Engdahl, E.R., Closing the gap between regional and global travel time tomography, J. Geophys. Res.: Solid Earth, 1998, vol. 103, pp. 30055–30078. http://dx.doi.org/. doi 10.1029/98JB02467

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Butler, R., Lay, T., Creager, K., Earl, P., Fischer, K., Gaherty, J., Laske, G., Leith, B., Park, J., Ritzwolle, M., Tromp, J., and Wen, L., The Global Seismographic Network surpasses its design goal, EOS, Trans. Am. Geophys. Union, 2004, vol. 85, no. 23, pp. 225–229.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dobretsov, N.L., Berzin, N.A., Buslov, M.M., and Ermikov, V.D., General problems of the Altai region evolution and relationship between basement structure and evolution of neotectonic structure, Geol. Geofiz., 1995, vol. 36, no. 10, pp. 5–19.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dobretsov, N.L., Kirdyashkin, A.G., and Kirdyashkin, A.A., Glubinnaya geodinamika (Deep Geodynamics), Novosibirsk: Sib. Otd. Ross. Akad. Nauk, 2001.

    Google Scholar 

  • Emanov, A.F., Emanov, A.A., Filina, A.G., Leskova, E.V., Kolesnikov, Yu.I., and Rudakov, A.D., General and particular features in evolution of aftershock processes of the largest earthquakes in the Altai–Sayan mountain region, Fiz. Mezomekh., 2006, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 33–43.

    Google Scholar 

  • Emanov, A.F., Emanov, A.A., Leskova, E.V., Fateev, A.V., Kolesnikov, Yu.I., and Kuznetsov, K.G., Seismic monitoring of the area of the Ureg-Nur earthquake of May 15, 1970, MS = 7.0 (Gorny Altai and Mongolia), in Zemletryaseniya Rossii v 2006 godu (Earthquakes in Russia in 2006), Obninsk: Geofiz. Sluzhba Ross. Akad. Nauk, 2009, pp. 73–76.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herman, V.I., Dobrynina, A.A., and Chechel’nitskii, V.V., A study of attenuation parameter of waves produced by the Tuva earthquakes and their aftershock sequences, Tuvinskie zemletryaseniya 2011–2012 gg.: Materialy Nauchnogo soveshchaniya po bazovomu proektu TuvIKOPR SO RAN VIII.78.1.4 “Napryazhennoe sostoyanie seismoopasnykh zon Tuvy: Otsenka seismicheskoi bezopasnosti na osnove seismologicheskikh issledovanii i dannykh seti seismicheskikh stantsii” (The 2011–2012 Tuva Earthquakes: Proceedings of the Scientific Meeting on the Basic Research Project of the Tuvan Institute for Integrated Use of Natural Resources, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences No. VIII.78.1.4 “Stress State of Seismoactive Zones of Tuva. Seismic Safety Assessment on the Basis of Seismological Studies and the Data Obtained by Seismic Network”), Kyzyl, Russia, 2014, Kyzyl: TuvIKOPR SO RAN, 2014, pp. 36–44.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaazik, P.B. and Kopnichev, Yu.F., Anomalous Lg coda envelopes and their interpretation on the basis of the medium model with horizontally inhomogeneous attenuation, Vulkanol. Seismol., 1986, no. 5, pp. 64–74.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kopnichev, Yu.F. and Sokolova, I.N., High S-wave attenuation anomalies and ringlike seismogenic structures in the lithosphere beneath Altai: Possible precursors of large earthquakes, Izv., Atmos. Ocean. Phys., 2016, vol. 52, no. 8, pp. 806–815.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kuchai, O.A., Specific features of fields of stresses associated with aftershock processes in the Altai-Sayan mountainous region, Geodyn. Tectonophys., 2012, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 59–68. doi 10.5800/GT-GT-2012-3-1-0062

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lebedev, V.I., Kuzhuget, K.S., Rychkova, K.M., Duchkov, A.D., Kamenskii, I.L., and Chupikova, S.A., Seismic and geothermal activity in the territory of Tuva and adjacent regions, Tuvinskie zemletryaseniya 2011–2012 gg.: Materialy Nauchnogo soveshchaniya po bazovomu proektu TuvIKOPR SO RAN VIII.78.1.4 “Napryazhennoe sostoyanie seismoopasnykh zon Tuvy: Otsenka seismicheskoi bezopasnosti na osnove seismologicheskikh issledovanii i dannykh seti seismicheskikh stantsii” (The 2011–2012 Tuva Earthquakes: Proceedings of the Scientific Meeting on the Basic Research Project of the Tuvan Institute for Integrated Use of Natural Resources, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences No. VIII.78.1.4 “Stress State of Seismoactive Zones of Tuva. Seismic Safety Assessment on the Basis of Seismological Studies and the Data Obtained by Seismic Network”), Kyzyl, Russia, 2014, Kyzyl: TuvIKOPR SO RAN, 2014, pp. 51–56.

    Google Scholar 

  • Milanovskii, E.E., Geologiya Rossii i blizhnego zarubezh’ya (Severnoi Evrazii) (Geology of Russia and Its Nearest Neighbors in Northern Eurasia), Moscow: Mosk. Gos. Univ., 1996.

    Google Scholar 

  • Omar, Kh.M., Aref’ev, S.S., and Rebetskii, Yu.L., Mechanism of aftershocks of the 2004–2005 earthquakes and stress state in the source zone of the 2003 Altai earthquake, Geofiz. Issled., 2012, vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 56–73.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ovsyuchenko, A.N., Rogozhin, E.A., Marakhanov, A.V., Kuzhuget, K.S., Butanaev, Yu.V., Lar’kov, A.S., and Novikov, S.S., The results of field seismogeological studies of the 2011–2012 Tuva earthquakes, Tuvinskie zemletryaseniya 2011–2012 gg.: Materialy Nauchnogo soveshchaniya po bazovomu proektu TuvIKOPR SO RAN VIII.78.1.4 “Napryazhennoe sostoyanie seismoopasnykh zon Tuvy: Otsenka seismicheskoi bezopasnosti na osnove seismologicheskikh issledovanii i dannykh seti seismicheskikh stantsii” (The 2011–2012 Tuva Earthquakes: Proceedings of the Scientific Meeting on the Basic Research Project of the Tuvan Institute for Integrated Use of Natural Resources, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences No. VIII.78.1.4 “Stress State of Seismoactive Zones of Tuva. Seismic Safety Assessment on the Basis of Seismological Studies and the Data Obtained by Seismic Network”), Kyzyl, Russia, 2014, Kyzyl: TuvIKOPR SO RAN, 2014, pp. 57–78.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rogozhin, E.A. and Platonova, S.G., Ochagovye zony sil’nykh zemletryasenii Gornogo Altaya v golotsene (Source Zones of Large Earthquakes in Gorny Altai in the Holocene), Moscow: Inst. Fiz. Zemli Ross. Akad. Nauk, 2002.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shevchenko, V.I., Aref’ev, S.S., and Lukk, A.A., Subvertical clusters of earthquake hypocenters unrelated to the tectonic structure of the Earth’s crust, Izv., Phys. Solid Earth, 2011, vol. 47, no. 4, pp. 276–298

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sidorenkov, N.S., The Interaction between Earth’s Rotation and Geophysical Processes, Weinheim: WILEY, 2009.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Yanovskaya, T.B. and Kozhevnikov, V.M., 3D S-wave velocity pattern in the upper mantle beneath the continent of Asia from Rayleigh wave data, Phys. Earth Planet. Inter., 2003, vol. 138, nos. 3–4, pp. 263–278. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9201(03)00154-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yanovskaya, T.B., Kozhevnikov, V.M., Solovei, O.A., and Akchurin, K.R., Structure of the upper mantle in Asia from phase and group velocities of Rayleigh waves, Izv., Phys. Solid Earth, 2008, vol. 44, no. 8, pp. 622–630.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zakharova, A.I. and Rogozhin, E.A., Deep-focus precursors of strong earthquakes, Dokl. Earth Sci., 2001, vol. 381A, no. 9, pp. 1122–1123.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhalkovskii, N.D. and Muchnaya, V.I., Some results of macroseismic investigations of strong earthquakes in the Altai–Sayan region, in Seismichnost’ Altae-Sayanskoi oblasti (Seismicity of the Altai–Sayan Region), Novosibirsk: Nauka, 1975, pp. 28–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhalkovskii, N.D., Kuchai, O.A., and Muchnaya, V.I., Seismicity and some characteristics of stress state of the crust in the Altai–Sayan region, Geol. Geofiz., 1995, vol. 36, no. 10, pp. 20–30.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Schmidt Institute of Physics of the Earth, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 123242, Russia

    O. I. Aptikaeva

Authors
  1. O. I. Aptikaeva
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to O. I. Aptikaeva.

Additional information

Original Russian Text © O.I. Aptikaeva, 2017, published in Voprosy Inzhenernoi Seismologii, 2017, Vol. 44, No. 2, pp. 17–34.

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Aptikaeva, O.I. Seismic Activity and Structures of the Crust and Upper Mantle in the Areas of Source Zones of the Largest Earthquakes in the Altai–Sayan Region. Seism. Instr. 54, 184–198 (2018). https://doi.org/10.3103/S0747923918020020

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.3103/S0747923918020020

Keywords

Search

Navigation