EARTHQUAKES FELT IN MOLDOVA 2014: March, 29 with КP=12.5, Mw=4.7, September, 10 with КP=12.4, Mw=4.5 and November 22 with КP=14.3, Mw=5.8 (Romania–Moldova)

Abstract

All earthquakes felt in 2014 on the territory of Moldova occurred outside its borders, in the Vrancea and Pre-Carpathian regions (Romania). In 2014, the population of Moldova felt 13 earthquakes. The article discusses in detail the most powerful events, occurred on March 29, September 6, and November 22. The March 29 earthquake, Mw=4.7, hрР=136 km was felt in the eastern and southern counties of Romania (in 41 settlements), in the Odessa region of Ukraine, and also in the central and southern regions of the Republic of Moldova (22 points). The epicenter was situated in a bend of the Vrancea mountains. The earthquake on Sep-tember 10, Mw=4.5, hрР=108 km was felt in the eastern and southern counties of Romania (in 27 settlements), in the central and southern parts of Moldova (22 points), in the north of Bulgaria and in the Odessa region of Ukraine. Both earthquakes, March 29 and September 10, occurred under the action of prevailing near-horizontal compressive stress. The November 22 earthquake, Mw=5.8, hрР=37 km occurred in the southwestern part of Romania and turned out to be the most significant crust event for the instrumental observation period. Movement in the source occurred under the action of tensile stresses. Earthquakes in this zone continued until January 19, 2015. The largest aftershock was on December 7 with МwMED=4.4. Foci are associated with the activation of the Peceneaga-Camena fault. The main shock was felt in Romania (in 66 settlements) and neighboring countries: Bulgaria, Moldova (23 settlements), Ukraine (18 settlements). The isoseismal maps were constructed for all three earthquakes considered in detail in this work. The intensity at the epicenter of the November 22 earthquake reached I0=6, for other two events I0=5.