Detecting evidence of earthquakes in the Greater Caucasus Mountains of Azerbaijan

On the northern side of the Greater Caucasus, the fault propagation anticline in limestone beds records a long history of deformation. Credit: Ian Pearce

The Greater Caucasus Mountain Range runs between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea through parts of Russia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. These massive peaks are the result of the subduction of the Arabian plate under the Eurasian plate.

The stored energy is released by tectonic forces that push these two plates together during earthquakes, raising the Greater Caucasus Mountains. These tectonic movements are mostly accommodated by the Kura Fold Belt, which extends for approximately 275 km along the southern front of the mountain range between Tbilisi, Georgia, and Shamakhi, Azerbaijan.

Large and destructive earthquakes in central Azerbaijan have been described in historical records, including two earthquakes in 1668 and 1902. Aside from these two examples, scientists don't know much about other past earthquakes that may have ruptured along a major plate boundary fault system.

A new study by Ian Pearce and colleagues provides the first insights into the earthquake record in this region, as well as a warning. Using elevation models produced from satellite and drone images, the researchers identified evidence not only of long-term tectonic deformation but also of recent geological earthquakes in the landscape.

By excavating two Paleolithic trenches and using radiocarbon dating on subsurface sedimentary layers, the researchers identified several past seismic events and learned more about the potential for large earthquakes in the future.

In the first ancient trench, radiocarbon dating of sediments revealed evidence of two large earthquakes, one that occurred between 1713 and 1895 and one that occurred sometime between 1872 and 2003. They can be linked to known earthquakes in 1668 and 1902.

Information collected in the trench led scientists to suggest that the 1902 earthquake may have had a magnitude of 7.4, not 6.9, as previously thought. The second trench, located 60 kilometers to the west, bears evidence of at least one earthquake occurring between 334 and 118 BC, and perhaps another within the past 2,000 years.

In contrast, farther west along the Kura Fold Belt, there are no historical ruptures reported for the past four to eight centuries. Scientists suggest that ruptures in this part of the fault belt may be rarer but more destructive, and that they may have built up enough stress to produce an earthquake of magnitude 7.7 or higher.

They also point out that more field research is needed to confirm their findings, to better estimate the size and length of these cracks, and to learn more about the history of other faults within the belt.

Further information: Ian Pearce et al., Surface rupture earthquakes of the Greater Caucasus fore-thrust, Azerbaijan, Tectonics (2024). doi: 10.1029/2023TC007758

Provided by the American Geophysical Union

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Citation: Uncovering evidence of earthquakes in the Greater Caucasus Mountains of Azerbaijan (2024, March 27) Retrieved March 27, 2024 from https://phys.org/news/2024-03-uncovering-earthquake-evidence-azerbaijan-greater.html

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