SEISMIC AND TECTONIC ACTIVITY OF FAULTS ON THE SOUTH SLOPE OF THE NW CAUCASUS

Abstract

Paleoseismologic studies of recent years on the southern slope of the Northwest Caucasus show major earthquakes of up to M 7.0 to have occurred in the past in the number of geologically active fault zones. Recurrence interval of such seismic events is on the order of 2000 years. The rate of geologic displacement (creep) on the faults over the past 100 years is assessed at 1.5 to 2.0 mm/yr.