THE RELATION OF SEISMICITY TO LITHOSPHERIC DENSITY INHOMOGENEITIES IN THE RUSSIAN FAR EAST

Abstract

A well-defined relationship has been identified between the belts, zones and areas of higher seismicity in the Russian Far East on the one hand and, on the other, maxima in the gradient of surface density of spherical sources that give rise to gravity anomalies (μz ) equivalent to quasi-isometric density inhomogeneities in the lower crust and upper mantle. The highest epicenter density is observed in the marginal parts of maxima of the μz parameter, these parts being interpreted as boundaries of rigid (sialic metamorphic and oceanic mafic) tectonic blocks and plates. The overwhelming majority of crustal seismicity is spatially related to uplifts of the asthenospheric layer reflected in the minima of the μz parameter, and is concentrated in uplifted crustal blocks. In addition to the linear type of seismicity due to deep-seated faults, the crust shows a concentrically zonal type of epicenter location associated with plume-generated central-type features (the Olekma-Stanovoi seismic zone). It is shown that seismic fields can be ranked by the depths of earthquake source zones using 3D models, μz (x,y,z).