The Causes of Tectonic and Seismic Activity of the Liskin Fault Zone (the Southeastern Voronezh Uplift, the East European Platform)

Abstract

The Liskin fault zone located in the southeastern part of the East European Platform at the boundary between two large neotectonic structures, that is, the Voronezh Uplift and the Oka–Don basin, is considered. Earthquake epicenters are concentrated in the fault zone and the adjacent territory. The neotectonic structures of the territory, topography, structure of the multi-depth and age horizons of the sedimentary cover, basement, crust, Moho surface are investigated, and the causes of neotectonic and seismic activity of the zone are determined. At present, the Liskin fault develops as a thrust fault with a dextral strike-slip component under the conditions of submeridional compression and the adjacent territory is under the influence of multidirectional tectonic compression stresses: from the north, from the Oka–Don basin and from the south, from the Caucasian segment of the Alpine collision belt. This is reflected in the morphology and structure of the neotectonic structures. The deformation of multi-depth horizons as well as the Earth’s surface and the activation of seismicity are associated with the submeridional compression. The deep material and structural inhomogeneities of the Earth’s crust are of great importance. The collision zone between two oncoming submeridional stresses that led to active seismicity has been identified in the neotectonic structure of the south-eastern part of the East European Platform for the first time.