WHAT WE KNOW AND WHAT WE
DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE EARTHQUAKES IN THE VRANCEA REGION (ROMANIA)
Mircea
RADULIAN[1],
Mihaela POPA[2], Raluca
DINESCU[3]
Abstract. Vrancea is one
of the few seismic sources on the Globe that generates major earthquakes (7 to
8 magnitude) at intermediate depth (60 – 180 km) in a very confined seismogenic volume (seismic nest). Understanding how these
earthquakes are generated is of wide interest both scientifically and
considering the major impact of these earthquakes in Romania and neighbouring countries. The present paper is an overview of
what we know at present and what still remains to be clarified in the future
regarding the seismic process in the Vrancea area.
The prominent features of the Vrancea
prone-earthquake system are critically presented discussing their consistency
with observation data, concordances and discrepancies and how to interpret them
in the light of the latest research. Key elements are analysed
related to geodynamic modelling (nature of the cold and dense material
descending into the mantle, coupling of the Vrancea
slab with the overlying continental crust) and seismicity patterns showing
specific characteristics as geometrical configuration in consistence with the
predominant focal mechanism and possible physico-geochemical
reactions at critical temperature-pressure conditions.
Keywords: Vrancea seismic source,
seismic nest, seismicity patterns, geodynamic modelling, critical phenomena
DOI https://doi.org/10.56082/annalsarsciphyschem.2023.1.58
[1] PhD, National Institute for Earth Physics, Magurele,
Romania, member of the Academy of Romanian Scientists, corresponding member of the
Romanian Academy (e-mail: mircea@infp.ro).
[2] PhD, full member of the Academy of Romanian Scientists (e-mail:
ndcr2003@yahoo.com).
[3] PhD (ABD), National Institute for Earth Physics, Magurele, Romania, Faculty of Geology and Geophysics,
University of Bucharest, Romania (raluca.dinescu@infp.ro).