ASSESSMENT OF STRESS-STRAIN STATE OF SEISMICALLY ACTIVE REGION OF ARMENIA ACCORDING TO THE RESULTS OF HYDROGEODYNAMIC MONITORING

Abstract:

Results of hydrogeodynamic monitoring, data of the chemical analysis of water were compared with seismic regime of the region aiming to study and evaluate stress-strain state of earth crust of Central Armenia during 2010-2014. Methodolgy of processing water level data came down to allocating tectonic-seismic stress taking into account the following factors: atmosphere pressure, precipitations, size of snow cover and tidal variations. The overall picture of the stress-strain state of the territory yearly was defined by calculated value of deformations around each hydrogeodynamic borehole taking into account the number of seismic events which occurred during that period. Maps of the isolines of equal values of deformations were drawn which reflect space-time regularity of the modern geodynamics of Armenia. The resluts of the correlation between parametres of hydrogeochemical effects and charaectreristics of earthquakes have shown that statistically significant connection between effect parametres (effect time, extremum time) and characteristics of seismic events (energetic class, epicentral distance ) was determined for the changes of parameters of the chemical composition of underground water. Histogram of changes of values of geochemical components of waters of mineral springs in space was drawn for the period of monitoring observations. The analysis of data allowed allocating more informative parameters of chemical composition of mineral water: gas component-carbon dioxide (СО₂). Magnesium –Mg²⁺, chloride –Cl^- where allocated from the macrocomponenet composition. According to the catalogue of seismic data there was drawn diagram of the frequency of earthquakes, reflecting the distribution of the earthquake number according to magnitude M (according to rule LgN=a-bM) in logarithmic scale. Coefficient of seismic activity was calculated – а, by which variations seismic activity of the region is evaluated.

Thus, modern tectonic movements of earth crust of Armenia are conditioned by seismic processes of earth crust. Formation of geological structures and changes of hydrogeodynamics and geochemistry of underground water are the results of geodynamic movements.