Geophysical monitoring of the geodynamic regime of Central Armenia

Geophysical monitoring of the geodynamic regime of the territory of Armenia is carried out including observations of the chemical composition of groundwater, changes in the stress-strained state of the earth’s crust and current seismicity. Hydrogeochemical effects of changing the stress-strained state of the medium as indicators of modern geodynamic processes have been revealed. Based on published data, the authors suggest that the nature of the manifestation of geochemical anomalies depends on the parameters of the forthcoming seismic event – magnitude (M) and epicentral distance (Δ). A map of the spatial-temporal distribution of deformations of the earth’s crust because of earthquakes over the past three years in the region has been compiled. The main components of ionic (Cl–, HCO3, SO4, Mg2 +, total mineralization) and gas (CO2) composition of mineral waters in comparison with seismicity in the earth’s crust are studied. A map of the distribution of earthquake epicenters in space and in time has been compiled. The obtained graph shows the hypocenters dependence of magnitude of earthquakes that occurred during the investigated period on the depth of hypocenters. Earthquake catalogue is using to plot earthquake recurrence. Statistical analysis of observational data showed that the most informative predictive characteristic is the dispersion of carbon dioxide content in water. According to the time series of concentrations of chemical indicators, the effects associated with the geodynamic regime of the earth’s crust of Central Armenia were determined. A map of the distribution of deformations in the earth’s crust of central Armenia was compiling taking into account the depths of the hypocenters of earthquakes.