Seismotectonic setting of the earthquake of august 7, 2016 and its aftershocks

Abstract

An earthquake with magnitude 4.8 hit the vicinity of Mariupol close to the southern boundary of the East European Platform (EEP) on August 7, 2016. The main event was followed by the aftershocks with magnitudes ranging from 2.2 to 3.9 which lasted for five days. The region experiences external influence from the neotectonically active Alpine zone resulting in intraplate deformations, horizontal and vertical movements of the Earth’s surface, and seismicity. The sources of the main shock and aftershocks are located within the block bounded by the neotectonically active Maloyanisol, Kalmius, and Primorsky faults. A seismogenic structure traced by the submeridional Kalchik lineament zone is identified in the axial part of the block by the combined analysis of geological and geophysical data and visual interpretation of the satellite image. This neotectonically active zone hosts the epicenters of the main event and most of the aftershocks.