PALEOSEISMOLOGY OF THE SHIRVAN STRIKE-SLIP FAULT SYSTEM
Keywords:
Paleoseismology, Shirvan Strike-Slip Fault, West Caspian Fault, seismic hazard assessment, active tectonics, South Caspian Basin, AzerbaijanAbstract
This study presents the results of an integrated geomorphological, structural, and paleoseismological investigation of the Shirvan strike-slip fault zone, located within the Kura–Araz Depression at the western margin of the South Caspian Basin (Azerbaijan). Using high-resolution Pléiades satellite stereo imagery, UAV aerial photography, field mapping, and digital elevation models, we identified evidence of active right-lateral strike-slip deformation, including offset river channels, terrace scarps, compression and extension zones, as well as pop-up and pull-apart structures. A close spatial relationship between the fault trace, anticlinal folding, and the linear distribution of mud volcanoes indicates structural control over their formation.
For the first time, paleoseismological studies of the Shirvan Fault were carried out by excavating two trenches near Salyan. Stratigraphic analysis combined with infrared luminescence (IRSL) and radiocarbon dating allowed reconstruction of the paleoseismic history over the past ~3000 years. Four to six surface-rupturing events were identified with irregular recurrence intervals averaging 500–750 years, including a clustering of 2–3 events in the last ~500–600 years. The minimum geological slip rate along the fault was estimated at 3.9–4.8 mm/yr during the Holocene.
Considering the fault zone length of ~150 km, inferred from geomorphology, seismicity, and mud volcano distribution, a full rupture could generate an earthquake of up to Mw ~7.5. However, the absence of large historical earthquakes and the nature of faulting within fluid-saturated sediments of the Kura–Araz Depression suggest that part of the deformation may occur aseismically or as triggered events. These results highlight the key role of the Shirvan strike-slip zone in the current tectonics of the South Caspian
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