Not long ago, devastating earthquakes swept across the ocean, causing a lot of trouble. The vibrations of the earth in Haiti and Chile had hardly died down when a new blow struck. This time it came to Turkey. And again there are victims. We also sometimes shake when earthquakes occur, say, in Romania. I remember how the chandeliers swayed in Minsk apartments in 1986. Even the Kaliningrad region, where the earth’s surface shook six years ago, may present a “surprise.” And this was well felt by the residents of the Grodno region. So I have a lot of questions for the director of the Geophysical Monitoring Center National Academy Sciences of Belarus to Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Arkady Aronov, who knows a lot about earthquakes. But he immediately reassured me:
“We are lucky that we live in weakly active seismic conditions. In principle, earthquakes occur constantly and everywhere. However, for the most part they are weak and not of a tangible nature, and strong tremors of the earth’s interior very rarely fall under settlements. Yes, there is some activation, but not on such a scale as people think. Earthquakes have always occurred on Earth and will continue to occur in the future. They just didn’t know much about them before, that is, there wasn’t enough information.
— Arkady Gesselevich, does your service monitor all earthquakes?
- Yes. Our center has six stationary stations that provide monitoring of ongoing seismicity. And this work is carried out continuously around the clock. I want to name the Pleschenitsy Geophysical Observatory - it is one of the oldest, the geophysical observatory in Naroch, seismic stations in Soligorsk, Polotsk, Mogilev and Litvyany, Ostrovets district. Moreover, they record not only those seismic events that occur in our country, but throughout the world. The information received is recorded, processed and transmitted to international data centers.
— What is the situation in our country?
— An earthquake with a magnitude of seven on a 12-point scale occurred in the area of the Gudogai station in 1908, and somewhat weaker near Borisov in 1887. And recently we found information that in 1893 and 1896 there were also two earthquakes in the area of the city of Mogilev. We found this information in the supplement to the catalog of the Russian Geographical Society. Those earthquakes are estimated as 4-5 points. Since 1965, when instrumental observations began, five significant earthquakes have been recorded. They occurred south of Minsk - in the area of the Starobinsky potassium ore deposit and its surroundings.
— Probably, this is the influence of potassium ore mining, underground workings pressing the Soligorsk mountains onto the ground?
— Development, of course, played a role. This is a paleorief, and ancient stresses may remain. And in order for geodynamic processes to become more active, it was enough to start large-scale mining operations. Therefore, our devices are located in the Soligorsk area, and we are actively cooperating with the leadership of the Belaruskali association on this issue. I must tell you that control over the seismic situation is organized at almost all fields when mining is underway, since mining activity is everywhere accompanied by the occurrence of so-called induced seismicity to a greater or lesser extent.
— Are strong earthquakes possible in Belarus?
“We can’t rule them out either.” Our Earth is in many ways similar to a soft-boiled egg whose shell has been crushed. Somewhere stronger, somewhere less. AND natural processes happen differently. In some places, geodynamic activity is accompanied by strong earthquakes and volcanic activity, while in others it is minimal. In our geological era, naturally, mountains will not grow rapidly as they did millions of years ago. However, deep-seated processes can lead to the fact that even in a place that we considered relatively seismically calm, a fairly strong earthquake will occur. This is mainly due to endogenous factors. Although both external and man-made influences can also trigger the occurrence of seismicity. And we must be prepared for this manifestation of the “breath” of the Earth.
I told you about the situation in the area of the Starobinsky potassium ore deposit. But we also feel the earthquakes that occur in the Vrancea mountains in the eastern Carpathians. This is a local area in which very strong seismic sources are generated at depths of up to 200 kilometers, and seismic waves propagate over long distances. Such earthquakes were felt on our territory in 1940, 1977, and 1986. Seismic events in the Baltic region also have an impact on Belarus. Let's say September 21, 2004 in Kaliningrad region A series of earthquakes occurred, very strong for this area, which caused vibrations at the epicenter of 7 points. They have reached our country. In the Grodno region they reached 4 points.
“Today scientists can say where to expect an earthquake and how strong it will be. Can they predict the time when this will happen?
— Unfortunately, science is not yet capable of this. Although there is a lot of work being done in this direction around the world. I myself took part in them for many years when I worked in Central Asia, in Tashkent. A whole network of prognostic observations was created in Uzbekistan. And we have achieved some success. But with the collapse of the Union, much was lost...
— Earthquakes, of course, are a disaster and a tragedy. But I heard there are benefits from them...
— Seismic sources, as academician Prince Boris Golitsyn, the founder of modern seismology, said, are like a lantern that momentarily illuminates the interior of the Earth. And seismic waves, penetrating the earth, carry unique information about the subsoil, which cannot be obtained in any other way. The information that we obtain from studying earthquakes is extremely interesting and very important. The time is not far off when people will use them to search for minerals that are located at great depths, since the first kilometers of the upper horizons earth's crust practically explored in detail. And knowledge of great depths is scanty. What if there are inexhaustible riches there? And this can only be determined by seismic methods. No others.
The earthquake in Japan on March 11 excited not only the Japanese, but the entire globe. Throughout history, scientists have recorded a couple of earthquakes of this magnitude - 12 points.
This year, our planet has already been shaken by strong earthquakes with a magnitude above 7 on the coast of Central Chile on January 2, on the Loyalty Islands on January 13 and in southwest Pakistan on January 18.
Is it safe in Belarus? The head of the department of the Center for Geophysical Monitoring of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, candidate of geological and mineralogical sciences Tatyana Aronova, answered this question to Komsomolskaya Pravda.
- Is Belarus located in a seismically active zone?
Belarus is located in the western part of the East European Platform. And the platform is a fairly stable and motionless place. So our country is in a zone of weak seismic activity.
In Europe, the southern regions, the so-called Trans-Asian seismic belt, are most susceptible to seismic impacts. Lots of earthquakes happening in Turkey, Greece, Italy - all over Mediterranean.
For us, the most painful point is the earthquakes that occur in Romania. The sources originate in the Eastern Carpathians (Vrancea zone), where deep-focus earthquakes occur, the waves from which reach Belarus. Such earthquakes occurred in 1940, 1977, and 1986. The waves of these earthquakes swept throughout Belarus and even reached Moscow.
Floods do not threaten us either; in the worst case, spring flooding. We are far enough from the coastal zone to be subject to such disasters.
- But we had earthquakes?
In total, there were 9 earthquakes on the territory of Belarus. 4 of them are historical and 5 are instrumentally recorded. Historical earthquakes were recorded from the words of residents who felt the swaying of objects on the earth's surface, the clinking of dishes, the creaking of furniture and floors. Based on this information, calculations were carried out and the magnitude of the earthquakes and the maximum number of points were determined. Those earthquakes that were recorded by instruments in Belarus were observed in the Soligorsk mining region. These are earthquakes in 1978, 1983, 1985 and two in 1998. The strength of these earthquakes was small - within the magnitude of 3. The last two were generally weak, but their depth was small, so people on the surface felt the swaying and movement of objects. In Soligorsk, there is a redistribution of stress in the earth's crust due to mining, which provokes tectonic activity
- Have we ever had an earthquake in which buildings collapsed?
No, there have never been destructive earthquakes on the territory of Belarus. In 2004, waves from the earthquake that occurred in the Kaliningrad region were felt in Belarus. In the central zone it caused destruction and there were even fractures in the earth’s crust, but we only had effects. Those who were on high floors at that time felt a strong swaying of the building, saw objects falling, but nothing more. The higher you are from the ground, the stronger the feeling of the earthquake will be, the stronger the swaying. On the territory of Belarus, neither in the historical period nor now, strong destructive earthquakes have been observed and, most likely, there will not be any, since we are located on a platform territory, and, moreover, on the old continental plate.
- Are there zones of seismic activity in Belarus?
Based on the data we receive from five seismic stations (Minsk, Naroch, Polotsk, Mogilev and Soligorsk), we have compiled a map of seismotectonic activity in the territory of Belarus. We call seismically active zones those zones in the area of which there have already been earthquakes or those in which they are theoretically possible. On this map, taking into account fault tectonics and earthquakes that we observed, active zones where seismic activity may occur are highlighted. But whatever it is, there cannot be earthquakes on our territory even with a magnitude higher than 4.5.
They will not reach us in sensations, but the devices sense it. Seismic waves circle the surface of the globe several times after an earthquake. For two hours after the earthquake in Japan, our instruments showed and recorded seismic waves, but we felt nothing. Our instruments record all world earthquakes with magnitude 5 and above, in Europe - with magnitude 4 and above. People may feel the effects of these earthquakes up to 500 kilometers away from the epicenter depending on the strength of the earthquake, but nothing more.
- With what accuracy do modern scientists predict earthquakes?
In Great Britain, France and Russia there are seismological centers that collect information from all seismic stations in the world, and data from Belarusian stations are also presented there. Seismological databases and maps are compiled there. Countries with high seismic activity engage in earthquake forecasting. Using indirect and calculated factors, they try to determine the location, strength and time of earthquakes. But, as practice has shown, these calculations are justified only in terms of area and strength. As for now, no one can give such information for sure. There was an unsuccessful false forecast in China in 1975. Scientists expected an earthquake with a magnitude above 7, declared an alarm, evacuated people, but the earthquake did not happen. But a year later there was a very strong earthquake with destruction and casualties, the Chinese could not predict it.
Scientists from all countries pay great attention to foreshock activity in seismological forecasts (foreshocks are earthquakes before the main shock, and aftershocks are earthquakes after the main shock), but using them to predict an earthquake only within a few days. What will happen at the source of the earthquake, and especially the mechanism of movement, no one will know until the earthquake itself occurs. Each earthquake has its own mechanism - thrust, fault or shear.
In recent times, strong earthquakes occur quite often: last year in Haiti, this year in Chile, Pakistan, Japan. What's happening to the Earth?
The earth is an organism that is constantly in motion. Therefore, earthquakes are inevitable; they are directly related to the geological evolution of the planet.
One more thing. Everyone around says that earth's axis after the earthquake in Japan it shifted a lot, but it is already in constant movement. Before this earthquake there were two strong earthquakes in Chile. This is a country on another continent. That earthquake might have pushed the axle in one direction, and this earthquake might have pushed it in the other direction. It turns out that they balance each other.
Earthquakes in Belarus
Strength, school scores MSK-64
Borisov
Mogilev
Mogilev
Gudogai village,
Soligorsk
40 km from Soligorsk
10 km from Glusk, Soligorsk district
Pogost village (10 km from Soligorsk)
Iserno village (13 km from Soligorsk)
Help "KP"
Points - the effect of an earthquake on the surface of the earth.
Magnitude is the strength at the location of the earthquake.
INTERESTING TO KNOW
The most powerful earthquakes in the last two centuries
Magnitude Where and when
9.5 Chile 1960
9.2 Prince William Sound, Alaska 1964
9.1 North Sumatra, Indonesia 2004
9.0 East Coast of Honshu, Japan 2011
9.0 Kamchatka, Russia 1952
8.8 Colombia - Ecuador 1906.
8.8 Coast of Chile 2010
8.7 Rat Islands, Aleutians 1965
8.6 Assam - Tibet 1950
8.6 Andrean Islands, Alaska 1957
8.6 North Sumatra, Indonesia 2005
HAVE A QUESTION
Is the Belarusian nuclear power plant being built in a seismically active zone?
The earthquake that occurred in the Ostrovets region in 1908 had a magnitude of 6 - 7. Protection at the nuclear power plant under construction is provided above these values, Vladimir Gorin, deputy chief engineer of the nuclear power plant construction directorate, comments to Komsomolskaya Pravda. - In general, there are still doubts whether this was an earthquake at all. At that time there were almost no seismic stations; all descriptions were from eyewitnesses. Some scientists are still arguing whether it was their own Gudogai earthquake or echoes of the Italian earthquake, which provoked powerful tremors throughout Europe.
When constructing projects of this type, sensors and seismic protection systems are used that prevent damage to equipment during an earthquake with a magnitude of more than 8 points. In Japan, seismic protection fulfilled its function completely; the reactors were shut down automatically. The problem arose not during, but after the earthquake, when a tsunami wave passed through and destroyed the cooling water supply system. Our project has all degrees of protection against all earthquakes that may occur in our seismic active zone. There is no need to make any adjustments.
The earthquake in Japan on September 11th shook not only the Japanese, but the entire globe. Is it safe in Belarus? This question was answered by the head of the department of the Center for Geophysical Monitoring of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus Aronova.
"Komsomolskaya Pravda in Belarus" spoke with the head of the department of the Center for Geophysical Monitoring of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, candidate of geological and mineralogical sciences Tatyana Aronova.
The earthquake in Japan on September 11th excited not only the Japanese. Throughout history, scientists have recorded a couple of earthquakes of this magnitude - 12 points.
This year, our planet has already been shaken by strong earthquakes with a magnitude above 7 on the coast of Central Chile on January 2, on the Loyalty Islands on January 13 and in southwest Pakistan on January 18.
Is it safe in Belarus? The head of the department of the Center for Geophysical Monitoring of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, candidate of geological and mineralogical sciences Tatyana Aronova, answered this question to Komsomolskaya Pravda.
- Is Belarus located in a seismically active zone?
Belarus is located in the western part of the East European Platform. And the platform is a fairly stable and motionless place. So our country is in a zone of weak seismic activity.
In Europe, the southern regions, the so-called Trans-Asian seismic belt, are most susceptible to seismic impacts. Many earthquakes occur in Turkey, Greece, Italy - throughout the Mediterranean.
For us, the most painful point is the earthquakes that occur in Romania. The sources originate in the Eastern Carpathians (Vrancea zone), where deep-focus earthquakes occur, the waves from which reach Belarus. Such earthquakes occurred in 1940, 1977, and 1986. The waves of these earthquakes swept across Belarus and even reached Moscow.
Floods do not threaten us either; in the worst case, spring flooding. We are far enough from the coastal zone to be subject to such disasters.
- But we had earthquakes?
In total, there were 9 earthquakes on the territory of Belarus. 4 of them are historical and 5 are instrumentally recorded. Historical earthquakes were recorded from the words of residents who felt the swaying of objects on the earth's surface, the clinking of dishes, the creaking of furniture and floors. Based on this information, calculations were carried out and the magnitude of the earthquakes and the maximum number of points were determined. Those earthquakes that were recorded by instruments in Belarus were observed in the Soligorsk mining region. These are earthquakes in 1978, 1983, 1985 and two in 1998. The strength of these earthquakes was small - within the magnitude of 3. The last two were generally weak, but their depth was small, so people on the surface felt the swaying and movement of objects. In Soligorsk, there is a redistribution of stress in the earth's crust due to mining, which provokes tectonic activity
- Have we ever had an earthquake in which buildings collapsed?
No, there have never been destructive earthquakes on the territory of Belarus. In 2004, waves from the earthquake that occurred in the Kaliningrad region were felt in Belarus. In the central zone it caused destruction and there were even fractures in the earth’s crust, but we only had effects. Those who were on high floors at that time felt a strong swaying of the building, saw objects falling, but nothing more. The higher you are from the ground, the stronger the feeling of the earthquake will be, the stronger the swaying. On the territory of Belarus, neither in the historical period nor now, strong destructive earthquakes have been observed and, most likely, there will not be any, since we are located on a platform territory, and, moreover, on the old continental plate.
- Are there zones of seismic activity in Belarus?
Based on the data we receive from five seismic stations (Minsk, Naroch, Polotsk, Mogilev and Soligorsk), we have compiled a map of seismotectonic activity in the territory of Belarus. We call seismically active zones those zones in the area of which there have already been earthquakes or those in which they are theoretically possible. On this map, taking into account fault tectonics and earthquakes that we observed, active zones where seismic activity may occur are highlighted. But whatever it is, there cannot be earthquakes on our territory even with a magnitude higher than 4.5.
They will not reach us in sensations, but the devices sense it. Seismic waves circle the surface of the globe several times after an earthquake. For two hours after the earthquake in Japan, our instruments showed and recorded seismic waves, but we felt nothing. Our instruments record all world earthquakes with magnitude 5 and above, in Europe - with magnitude 4 and above. People may feel the effects of these earthquakes up to 500 kilometers away from the epicenter depending on the strength of the earthquake, but nothing more.
- With what accuracy do modern scientists predict earthquakes?
There are seismological centers in the UK, France and Russia that collect information from all seismic stations in the world, and data from Belarusian stations is also presented there. Seismological databases and maps are compiled there. Countries with high seismic activity engage in earthquake forecasting. Using indirect and calculated factors, they try to determine the location, strength and time of earthquakes. But, as practice has shown, these calculations are justified only in terms of area and strength. As for now, no one can give such information for sure. There was an unsuccessful false forecast in China in 1975. Scientists expected an earthquake with a magnitude above 7, declared an alarm, evacuated people, but the earthquake did not happen. But a year later there was a very strong earthquake with destruction and casualties, the Chinese could not predict it.
Scientists from all countries pay great attention to foreshock activity in seismological forecasts (foreshocks are earthquakes before the main shock, and aftershocks are earthquakes after the main shock), but using them to predict an earthquake only within a few days. What will happen at the source of the earthquake, and especially the mechanism of movement, no one will know until the earthquake itself occurs. Each earthquake has its own mechanism - thrust, fault or shear.
In recent times, strong earthquakes occur quite often: last year in Haiti, this year in Chile, Pakistan, Japan. What's happening to the Earth?
The earth is an organism that is constantly in motion. Therefore, earthquakes are inevitable; they are directly related to the geological evolution of the planet.
One more thing. Everyone around says that the earth's axis shifted greatly after the earthquake in Japan, but it is already in constant motion. Before this earthquake there were two strong earthquakes in Chile. This is a country on another continent. That earthquake might have pushed the axle in one direction, and this earthquake might have pushed it in the other direction. It turns out that they balance each other.
Is the Belarusian nuclear power plant being built in a seismically active zone?
The earthquake that occurred in the Ostrovets region in 1908 had a magnitude of 6 - 7. Protection at the nuclear power plant under construction is provided above these values, Vladimir Gorin, deputy chief engineer of the nuclear power plant construction directorate, comments to Komsomolskaya Pravda. - In general, there are still doubts whether this was an earthquake at all. At that time there were almost no seismic stations; all descriptions were from eyewitnesses. Some scientists are still arguing whether it was their own Gudogai earthquake or echoes of the Italian earthquake, which provoked powerful tremors throughout Europe.
When constructing projects of this type, sensors and seismic protection systems are used that prevent damage to equipment during an earthquake with a magnitude of more than 8 points. In Japan, seismic protection fulfilled its function completely; the reactors were shut down automatically. The problem arose not during, but after the earthquake, when a tsunami wave passed through and destroyed the cooling water supply system. Our project has all degrees of protection against all earthquakes that may occur in our seismic active zone. There is no need to make any adjustments.
Earthquakes were recorded in the Soligorsk region on January 13, 16 and 17. Their epicenters were at depths of 25.7 km, 17.4 km and 18.8 km. The maximum magnitude of the latter is 2.5 points.
This was reported in the operational weekly review of the seismic situation of the Center for Geophysical Monitoring of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. 
Screenshot from the operational weekly review of the seismic situation of the Center for Geophysical Monitoring of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (cgm.org.by) That is, on the surface, residents of nearby villages and Soligorsk did not feel anything. Coordinates of the earthquake epicenters in the Soligorsk region.
Why is this happening
Belarus is located in the western part of the East European Platform. And the platform is a fairly stable and motionless place. That is, our country is in a zone of weak seismic activity. There have never been destructive earthquakes on the territory of Belarus.
At the same time, for Sluchina such an earthquake cannot be called something out of the ordinary. And that's why.
On the territory of the Soligorsk region, there is a redistribution of stresses in the earth’s crust due to mining, which provokes tectonic activity.
Those earthquakes that were recorded by instruments in Belarus were observed in the Soligorsk mining region. They were in 1978, 1983, 1985 and two in 1998. The strength of these earthquakes is small - within the magnitude of 3. The last two were generally weak, but their depth was small, so people on the surface felt the swaying and movement of objects.
In 2013, “Kur”er wrote that this happened on an August night, when the Belarusian anthem was playing on the radio. But then the earthquake was artificial.
January 22, 2016, Slutsk district “” earthquake, which, however, almost no one noticed. The epicenter was located at a depth of 3.89 km near the village of Iserno, Slutsk district. Its magnitude was imperceptible - 0.3 points - and was recorded only by seismic instruments.
REFERENCE "KUR"ERA. Let us recall that in 1986, a wave of a strong earthquake in Romania reached our region. It was recorded not only by instruments, but also by the residents of our region. Slutsk residents recall that chandeliers in apartments and houses were shaking and dishes were rattling.
There were similar echoes of the earthquake in the Carpathians in 1977. So-called deep-focus earthquakes occur there, the waves from which reach Belarus. A seismically unstable area is the Vrancea Mountains in the eastern Carpathians in northern Romania. There, seismic sources appear at depths of up to 200 kilometers, and seismic waves travel over long distances.
Earthquakes in our region:
- 1978, Soligorsk, 4−5 points on the MSK-64 scale.
- 1983, 40 km from Soligorsk, 4−5 points
- 1985, 10 km from the city of Glusk, Soligorsk district, 3−4 points
- 1998, Pogost village (10 km from Soligorsk), 4−5 points
- 1998, the village of Iserno (13 km from Soligorsk), 2−3 points.
That is, the strongest felt like this:
4 points. Intense. Recognized by slight rattling and vibration of objects, dishes and window glass, creaking of doors and walls. Most people feel the shaking inside the building.
5 points. Quite strong. In the open air it is felt by many, inside houses by everyone. General shaking of the building, vibration of furniture. The clock pendulums stop. Cracks in window glass and plaster. Awakening the Sleepers. It can be felt by people outside buildings; thin tree branches are swaying. Doors slam.
REFERENCE. In the region, continuous round-the-clock observations of earthquakes are carried out by the Soligorsk seismic station. They started on February 20, 1983.
Geographical coordinates of the station: 52.84 N; 27.47 E, it is located 9 km northwest of Soligorsk. Seismic receivers were installed in the salt mine of the second mining department of the Belaruskali association. For this purpose, a drift was allocated in the industrial zone of the third potash horizon at a depth of 600 meters from the earth's surface or -436 meters from sea level. The recording equipment is installed in the mine administration building on the surface.
The territory of Belarus, in accordance with seismotectonic zoning, belongs to the weakly active zone. Within the study area, according to literary and archival data, as well as instrumental observations (bulletins of seismic stations “Minsk”, “Naroch”, “Soligorsk”, “Brest”, “Gomel”, “Glushkevichi”), sources of seismic events with magnitude M< 4,5. В каталог сейсмических событий Беларуси с исторических времен по 2006 г. вошло 863 сейсмических события.
The first mention of the earthquake on May 10, 1230 is in the Laurentian and Nikon Chronicles. The earthquake caused the destruction of stone churches. On December 22, 1887, an earthquake with a magnitude of up to 6-7 occurred in Borisov district, accompanied by a strong roar and glass flying out. Data is also provided on other earthquakes near Belarus in the vicinity of Bialystok on January 8, 1808, in the current Chernigov region - on July 23, 1905. According to the magazine “Nasha Niva” and the newspaper “Courier of Lithuania”, on December 15, 1909, an earthquake occurred in the territory of the current Ostrovets district, as a result of which a ditch was formed on the surface of the earth with a length of up to one mile.
The Carpathian earthquakes are noticeably felt in Belarus. An earthquake with an epicenter in the Vrancea region on March 4, 1977 with a magnitude of 7.1 caused an uneven shaking with an intensity of 4-5 points in Belarus, and in some areas (the western and northwestern parts of the republic, the northeastern Pripyat trough) the earthquake was not felt. Apparently, this is due to the deep structure of the earth's crust, with the existence of waveguide channels that favor the propagation of seismic waves in certain directions in which the waves are abnormally attenuated.
On May 10, 1978, an earthquake with an intensity of 5 points occurred in the Soligorsk region. It was recorded by the Minsk and Obninsk seismic stations.
During 1983-1985 The short-term installation of the Soligorsk remote control, as well as the Turtle installations, recorded seismic events (30-40 events per year).
Over the entire observation period, six earthquakes occurred on the territory of Belarus, which were of a noticeable nature. Their characteristics are given in Table 9.1.
A map of the epicenters of seismic events is presented in Figure 9.24. It is based on a catalog of seismic events in Belarus for 1887-2006. The size of the circles on the map corresponds to earthquakes of energy classes from 7 to 12.
Analysis of the positions of the epicenters shows a pronounced uneven distribution over the area. In the north of Belarus, only isolated tremors were observed, which is due, on the one hand, to the impossibility of determining the coordinates of many weak earthquakes (there are only two seismic stations in this territory), and on the other, to low seismic activity. At the same time, significant historical earthquakes of 1887, 1908. occurred precisely in the northern part of the region. A high concentration of epicenters is observed in the southern part of Belarus within the Pripyat trough. Sites higher level seismicity is also located to the north of it.
A comparison of the distribution of earthquake epicenters with the fault tectonics of the region shows that the sources of tremors are located in the zone of faults of various types and directions, and, as will be shown below, gravitate primarily to modern active faults laid down in pre-platform times.
In the second half of the 90s of the last century, work was carried out on the general seismic zoning of the Belarusian-Baltic region (R.E. Aizberg, A.G. Aronov, R.G. Garetsky). The general seismic zoning of a territory is understood as a complex of geological-geophysical, seismological, seismotectonic studies to identify zones of possible occurrence of earthquake foci (EOF), both local and remote, determination of the seismological characteristics of these zones and calculation of the intensity of seismic impact in points (MSK-64 scale ) in the study area for average ground conditions (taking into account the frequency of shaking).
A comparison of the distribution of epicenters of historical and significant instrumentally recorded earthquakes with tectonic disturbances in the region shows that seismic events mainly manifest themselves in fault zones, especially in areas of their intersection. Thus, the epicenter of the earthquake that occurred on July 8, 1980 (M = 2.5) is located 30 km east of the significant historical earthquake of 1887 and gravitates towards the Chashniksky pre-platform super-regional fault. According to seismotectonic
Table 9.1 Noticeable shaking of the earth’s crust on the territory of Belarus (Aronov, 2007)
| Event date | Greenwich time, h, min, s | Epicenter | Place of sensation | Macroseismic characteristics | TO | M | I, score (on the MSK-64 scale) | |
| φ°, N | λ°,E | |||||||
| 10.12.1887 | 54,20 | 28,50 | Borisov, Borisov district, Minsk province (in several places) | An underground roar like thunder; glass broke in many houses | 3,7 | |||
| 28.12.1908 | around 02 | 54,60 | 25,80 | village Gudogai Ostrovets district (Serzhanty village) | Terrible thunder, the sound of window panes, the impression that the house was falling. Animals fell to their knees | 4,5 | ||
| Bystritsa village | The noise was like a train, the house shook several times, as if it had moved, a saw fell, people woke up, there were cracks in the ground in some areas | 5-6 | ||||||
| 10.05.1978 | 09:05:00 | 52,80 | 27,70 | Soligorsk and its surroundings (Kulaki village) | A rumble was felt, window panes rattled, hanging objects swayed, the creaking of furniture and floors on the first floors of wooden buildings was heard; in the mine of the potassium plant there was a collapse of the roof of the drift (the total weight of the collapsed rocks was ÷ 3000 tons) | 9,0 | 3,0 | 4-5 |
| 01.12.1983 | 21:26:34 | 52,95 | 27,81 | 3 km south of the village Povstyn and 40 km northeast of Soligorsk | Rumbling, rattling of glass, swaying of hanging objects, creaking of floors, furniture, isolated cracks in the plaster | 9,0 | 2,8 | 4-5 |
| 17.10.1985 | 01:32:24 | 52,90 | 28,40 | 10 km west of the city of Glusk and 70-80 km east of the city of Soligorsk | Rocking hanging objects | 9,5 | 3,1 | 3-4 |
| 16.03.1998 | 04:09:05 | 52,85 | 27,63 | village Pogost, 10 km northeast of Soligorsk | Rattling of glass, spontaneous opening of doors, movement of furniture, creaking of the floor; many sleepers woke up. The plaster on the walls was cracked, existing cracks became larger, and tiles fell off in some places. | 7,5 | 1,9 | 4-5 |
Figure 9 24 - Map of seismicity and main faults in the territory of Belarus for the period 1887-2008 (Aronov, 2007):
1 - earthquake magnitude; 2 epicenters of historical earthquakes; 3 - tangible instrumentally recorded earthquakes; 4 - city; 5 - seismic station; 6 - state border; 7-8 - faults penetrating into the cover: 7 - superregional, limiting the largest supra-order structures, 8 - regional and subregional; 9-10 - fractures that do not penetrate into the cover: 9 - super-regional, delimiting largest regions processing of different ages, 10 - regional and subregional; 11 - faults: 1 - Oshmyansky, 2 - Naliboksky, 3 - Svis-locheky, 4 - Divinsky, 5 - North-Ratnovsky, 6 - South-Ratnovsky, 7 - North-Pripyatsky, 8 - Surazhsky, 9 - Lyakhovichy, 10 - Rechitsky, 11 - Chervonoslobodsko-Malodushinsky, 12 - Kopatkevichsky, 13 - Shestovichsky, 14 - Skolodinsky, 15 - Narovlyansky, 16 - Elsky, 17 - South Pripyatsky, 18 - Loevsky, 19 - North Dnieper, 20 - South Dnieper, 21 - Polotsky, 22 - Losto-Kosky, 23 - Korelichi, 24 - Vyzhevsko-Minsky, 25 - Borisovsky, 26 - Chashniksky, 27 - Beshenkovichsky, 28 - Stokhodsko-Mogilevsky, 29 - Krichevsky, 30 - Chechersky, 31 - Perzhansko-Simonovichsky, 32 - Vitebsky.
On the map of the west of the Belarusian-Baltic region, the earthquake is confined to the Minsk seismogenic zone, its Borisov seismogenic subzone, within which earthquakes with a magnitude of Mmax = 3.7 can occur. The epicenter of the earthquake that occurred on August 29, 1990 (M = 2.1) is located in the northern part of the territory near the intersection zone of super-regional faults of pre-platform origin - the Polotsk (sublatitudinal strike) and the Korelichi (submeridional strike), east of the Daugavpils seismogenic zone. Earthquakes with a magnitude of 4.5 can occur within its boundaries. The epicenter of the significant earthquake that occurred on March 16, 1998 (M = 1.9) is confined to the intersection of the Lyakhovichi regional fault and the Stokhodsky-Mogilev superregional fault of pre-platform origin. It is controlled by the North Pripyat seismogenic zone, its Lyuban seismogenic subzone, within which earthquakes with a magnitude of up to 4.0 can occur. The epicenter of the earthquake that occurred on May 16, 1999 (M = 2.5) is located at the western end of the Skolodinsky regional fault. It is confined to the Central Pripyat seismogenic zone, within which earthquakes with a magnitude of 3.5 can occur. The epicenter of the earthquake that occurred on May 13, 2005 was located west of the junction zone of the Borisov and Stokhod-Mogilev superregional pre-platform faults. It is confined to the Minsk seismogenic zone, which is part of the Svisloch potentially seismogenic subzone, within which earthquakes with a magnitude of up to 3.7 can occur.
Peculiarities spatial distribution earthquakes in the junction zone of the northwestern part of the Pripyat trough and the Belarusian anteclise were studied on the basis of earthquake data for 1983-2006. A comparison of the spatiotemporal distribution of earthquake sources with the tectonic characteristics of the region shows that most faults here are highly seismically active. The predominant number of weak seismic shocks are concentrated along faults of various generations and directions or their links, i.e. weak earthquakes in general outline trace the fault. It is observed that earthquakes are confined to the following faults: pre-platform faults of submeridional strike - Stokhodsko-Mogilevsky, Krichevsky, Vyzhevsky-Minsky and Hercynian syn-rift faults of sublatitudinal strike - North Pripyatsky, Lyakhovichsky, Rechitsky, Chervonoslobodsky-Malodushinsky, Kopatkevichisky, Shestovichsky, Skolodinsky. Individual earthquakes fall in the intersection zones of platform sublatitudinal and pre-platform submeridional faults.
The question of the nature of the Soligorsk earthquakes is very relevant in scientific and practical terms. Taking into account the long-term changes in the stress state of the geological environment caused by excavation and displacement rocks and their storage in salt dumps, it can be assumed that the Soligorsk earthquakes are associated with induced seismicity and are predominantly technogenic in nature. However, manifestations of seismicity outside the zone of industrial workings are a sign that from a certain time the seismic process begins to be controlled mainly by regional geodynamic factors and to a lesser extent depends on the work of mining enterprises. This statement is substantiated by at least three facts: firstly, the “gravitation” of the bulk of the epicenters to the areas of intersection of fault zones, including the deep pre-platform Stokhod-Mogilev zone. Secondly, there is an almost complete lack of connection between the intensity of underground mining and seismicity. Thirdly, the vast majority of events occur outside the mine fields. This is a characteristic phenomenon for induced mine seismicity, when, as a result of the evolution of the seismic process, the area of epicenters expands over time. For example, the dynamics of spatio-temporal migration of the grouping zone of earthquake epicenters manifests itself as follows. Zone of grouping of epicenters of earthquakes of 1983 and 1988. is located in the western part of the epicentral region and is scattered along deep faults: Stokhod-Mogilev, Rechitsa, Lyakhovichi.
Based on the synthesis of new seismological and geological data, the following have now been identified: Borisov seismogenic subzone with magnitude Mmax = 3.7 (earthquake that occurred on July 8, 1980, with M = 2.5); Oshmyany seismogenic zone with magnitude Mmax = 4.5 (earthquake that occurred on February 27, 1987, with M = 2.5); Lyuban seismogenic subzone with magnitude M max = 4.0 (a noticeable earthquake that occurred on March 16, 1998, with M = 1.9); Central Pripyat seismogenic zone with magnitude Mmax = 3.5 (earthquake that occurred on May 16, 1999, with M = 2.5); Svisloch potential seismogenic subzone with magnitude Mmax = 3.7 (earthquake that occurred on May 13, 2005, with M = 2.8).