Seismic activity and deep conductivity structure of the Eastern Carpathians

Abstract

We present results of a study of the seismicity and the geoelectric structure of the Eastern Carpathians. After the evaluation of the seismicity, new methods of processing and analyzing seismic data are developed, which allow constructing an averaged horizontal-layered velocity model of the crust in the Carpathian region of Ukraine, tracing the seismic active faults and localizing the seismic events both in horizontal and in vertical direction with a better precision. For the study of the conductivity structure beneath the Eastern Carpathians, the collected magnetovariation and magnetotelluric data are used. The depth of electrical conductivity anomalies are estimated and the resulting quasi-3D model of the conductivity structure beneath the Carpathians is compared with the seismicity in the depth range of 10 ± 2.5 km. The comparison suggests possible geological mechanisms: the seismic events occur mainly in resistive solid rock domains which surround aseismic high-conductivity zones, consisting of at least partially melted material. Aqueous fluids, or a joint effect of several mechanisms, may also play an active role in this distribution.