Ancient earthquake dislocations in the area of Elbrus Volcano, North Caucasus

RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF EARTH SCIENCES VOL. 6, NO. 4, PAGES 293–309, doi:10.2205/2004ES000160, 2004

Ancient earthquake dislocations in the area of Elbrus Volcano, North Caucasus

E. A. Rogozhin, A. V. Marakhanov, A. N. Ovsyuchenko, A. V. Spiridonov, and E. E. Burkanov

Schmidt United Institute of Physics of the Earth, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

A. G. Gurbanov

Institute of Geology of Ore Deposits, Petrography, Mineralogy, and Geochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

Abstract

[1] New data have been obtained for the ancient, previously unknown large earthquakes that occurred during the Holocene in the central Caucasus region in the vicinity of Elbrus Volcano. The radiocarbon datings of the paleoseismic dislocations and the dating of the products of the old eruptions of the volcano suggest that at least four large eruptions of the volcano and four earthquakes with magnitudes of 6.5-7.0 had occurred during the last 7 thousand years. Although no synchronism has been found between the volcanic and seismic events, some earthquakes might have been associated with particular large eruptions.

Received 24 August 2004; published 12 October 2004.

Keywords: earthquake dislocations, Elbrus Volcano, large earthquakes, Holocene.

Citation: Rogozhin, E. A., A. V. Marakhanov, A. N. Ovsyuchenko, A. V. Spiridonov, E. E. Burkanov, and A. G. Gurbanov (2004), Ancient earthquake dislocations in the area of Elbrus Volcano, North Caucasus, Russ. J. Earth Sci., 6, No.4, 293-309, doi:10.2205/2004ES000160.