Archaeoseismological study in northeastern Bulgaria: Islands in Durankulak Lake

Abstract

The most northeastern part of the territory of Bulgaria is characterized by high seismicity. In 2019, archeoseismological studies of traces of strong earthquakes were carried out in the oldest architectural monument in Europe – Durankulak. There are reports of earthquakes in these places in the Middle Ages and in Аntiquity, but the data on the location of their foci is unspecified. Therefore, a team of scientists from Bulgaria and Russia carried out special scientific research on the islands in Lake Durankulak. A large number of artifacts have been found on the Big Island. The ruins located there are very old and have fixed traces of seismic impacts that have occurred over a long period of time. As a result of paleoseismological and archaeoseismological studies, three major earthquakes have been identified. Most likely, the focus of the first is connected to the Intramysian fault, and the focus of the second and third to the Shabla-Kaliakra seismic zone. The first was between VIII and IX degree on the scale of MSK 64, the second between IX and X, the third also between VIII and IX degree on the same scale.