SEISMICITY of the NORTHERN CAUCASUS in 2018–2019

Abstract

Seismic monitoring of the territory of the North Caucasus in 2018–2019 was carried our by a seismic network of 66 stations. All stations were digitally equipped. The seismic network provided representative registration of earthquakes with KR≥7.0 in most of the territory, in its central (including the Greater Sochi region) and eastern parts – with KR≥6.0, and in some local zones – with KP≥5.5. In general, 6874 earthquakes have been recorded in the region and its environs. 59 earthquakes were felt in the Caucasus settlements, 26 of them occurred in the North Caucasus region. The maximum shaking intensity Imax=6 by the MSK-64 scale was noted from the Zagatala earthquake of June 5, 2018 with KR=14.1 occurred in the territory of the Azerbaijan and from Buynak-II earthquake of May 24, 2019 with KR=11.5 in Dagestan near the Chirkey reservoir. On the territory of Ossetia and Ingushetia (Tersko-Caspian forward trough) two earthquakes, Zamankul and Yandar, were felt with intensity up to I=5. A doublet EQ felt up to I=3–4 was recorded on November 24, 2018 (KR=10.3) and November 25, 2018 (KR=10.5) in the West Kuban marginal trough. In accordance with the seismicity level scale "SOUS-09", seismicity of the North Caucasus in 2018–2019 is set as a "background average" for the observation period from 1962 to 2019.