A study of the properties of the tectonic structure of the Kryvyi Rih city based on statistical analysis of seismicity

Abstract

The article concerns results of studying two significant seismic events — an explosion (23.09.2020 09:00) and an earthquake (30.09.2020 20:00), which occurred in the area of the city of Kryvyi Rih. There were developed algorithms to process records by the Kryvyi Rih seismic station. There was done a comprehensive interpretation of the seismologic and geological-geophysical data. The seismic events’ coordinates were determined, the quality of seismological data processing was evaluated based on the expert method, the level of trustworthiness of the resulting parameters was estimated. The nature of the eathquake’s origin was analyzed based on the shape and the records’. The structure of the mechanism of the earthquake center shows that this was a natural seismic event of the induced type. The article also provides results of geotectonics study of the region of its origin and shows the connection of the geological structures with the epicenter’s parameters. The parameters of the stress-strain state of the crust in the Kryvyi Rih iron-ore basin are calculated, and the parameters of the epicenter of the induced earthquake (2020.09.30 20:00:40.836, UTC) are established. The experimentally calculated depth of the epicenter of local earthquake coincides with the hypothetical depth of 15 km at the lower edge of faults according to the model of the distribution of the depths of the earthquake hypocenters on the Eastern European platform. The proposed methods and algorithms open new opportunities for modern geophysical research in the long-term seismic hazard assessment of Kryvyi Rih. Meanwhile, for a more precise determination of the place, time and nature of local seismic events in the area it is necessary to develop, here and on adjacent territories, a network of seismic stations capable of recording events of comparable and lesser magnitude.