Tag: seismic hazard

Categories
Research Update

Active faulting and earthquake hazards in the Toktogul basin. A report from fieldwork in Kyrgyzstan, 2024

Active folding along the northern side of the Toktogul basin, viewed across the reservoir that occupies much of the basin interior.

A joint team from Oxford, the Institute of Seismology in Bishkek, and the National Nuclear Center in Almaty undertook several weeks of fieldwork in July and August of 2024, within the framework of our NATO SPS project on environmental security in the Tien Shan. Our particular interest in this field project was to investigate evidences for active faulting and to assess the types and frequency of earthquakes that might occur on faults in the Toktogul basin. The main road connecting North and South Kyrgyzstan passes through this valley, and there are several existing and proposed hydropower plants along the Naryn river. Understanding the distribution of active faults, the styles and magnitudes of earthquakes, and the timing of past events is therefore important for estimating earthquake hazard to the infrastructure, as well as to local populations.

Continue reading “Active faulting and earthquake hazards in the Toktogul basin. A report from fieldwork in Kyrgyzstan, 2024“
Categories
Research Update

1st Environmental Hazards in Asia Conference

The first Environmental Hazards in Asia Conference will take place in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, from 12-15 August with a field trip from 16-20 August. This conference aims to bring together practitioners of both with a focus on the hazards across Asia. The workshop will be structured to allow exploration of the underlying physical mechanics of hazards, explore the impacts of historical events across the continent and focus on the possible approaches to minimizing future impacts. The aim is to facilitate new ideas and proposals. Funds to support travel and subsistence to up to 20 participants from across Asia are available.

May 15th – Abstract submission deadline
June 1st – Fieldtrip registration deadline
July 12th – Online registration deadline

Meeting website: www.environmentalhazardsasia.wordpress.com

EnvHazMongolia_circular_smallDownload
Categories
research updates

Workshop report – quaternary dating and hazards at CEREGE, Aix-en-Provence, France

A number of earthquake specialists assembled in Aix-en-Provence for a four-day workshop hosted at CEREGE. The workshop is one of the flagship activities within the framework of the NATO SPS Multi-year project ‘Geo-environmental security from earthquakes in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan’. This project involves a consortium of researchers and specialists from Asia (Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan), from the USA, and from Europe (France, Germany, UK). We aim to develop the underpinning geological data that is required for building effective earthquake resilience, and to compile this data in open access formats that are accessible for researchers within the project focus area of central Asia. We combine that aim with the development of capacity through equipment purchases and through the training of early career researchers from both NATO and NATO partner countries.

Continue reading “Workshop report – quaternary dating and hazards at CEREGE, Aix-en-Provence, France”
Categories
research updates

New paper: Slip-Rate of the Main Kopeh Dagh Fault and active tectonics of the South Caspian

The South Caspian Basin (SCB) is an aseismic block that moves independently to its surroundings. Together with the Arabia-Eurasia collision, it controls the active tectonics of Turkmenistan. The directions, rates, and rotation poles of the SCB relative to Iran and Eurasia are not well resolved. In a new paper recently published in TECTONICS, we constrain the motion of the SCB by measuring the slip rate of the Main Kopeh Dagh Fault (MKDF) in Turkmenistan. Here’s what we found:

Continue reading “New paper: Slip-Rate of the Main Kopeh Dagh Fault and active tectonics of the South Caspian”
Categories
research updates

New paper on the seismic hazard in Almaty by Amey et al.

Our team has published a new paper on the seismic hazard in the Almaty region, Kazakhstan. We use high resolution satellite imagery to map faults around Almaty, Kazakhstan, and then use GEM’s OpenQuake to calculate shaking, damage and losses to the city from earthquake scenarios. Here’s what we found.

Continue reading “New paper on the seismic hazard in Almaty by Amey et al.”
Categories
research updates

The COMET Central Asia Fault Database: Progress Report

The COMET Central Asia Fault Database integrates decades of fault mapping and field-studies by researchers from the UK NERC Centre for Observation and Modelling of Earthquakes, Volcanoes and Tectonics (COMET), and global collaborators.

Central Asia is home to one of the world’s great mountain ranges–the Tien Shan–which is formed by vigorous crustal convergence across a multitude of tectonic faults. Here we describe the motivation to assemble the database and the choices that we have made in its structure, which are based on utility, necessity, and limitations in available information. We are working towards a full public release of the dataset, so keep an eye out!

Continue reading “The COMET Central Asia Fault Database: Progress Report”
Categories
webinar

Video: Talk by Ray Weldon on “How better geology can improve seismic hazard estimates in Kyrgyzstan”

On 22 Feb, 2021, Ray Weldon (University of Oregon) opened our public lecture series on the tectonics of Central Asia. More than 100 participants from all over the world tuned in. From now on, we will have a public lecture every two months. In case you missed Ray’s presentation, here’s the video.

Watch this space for future talks, always on the last Monday of every second month, and follow us on Twitter for updates: https://twitter.com/QuakesCentAsia

Categories
webinar

Online webinar by Ray Weldon & Kanatbek Abdrakhmatov on 22 Feb 2021: How better geology can improve seismic hazard estimates in Kyrgyzstan

In the framework of our NATO-funded project SPS G5690 – “Earthquake Hazard and Environmental Security in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan” we will run an ~1 hr online webinar. Ray Weldon from University of Oregon will talk about How better geology can improve seismic hazard estimates in Kyrgyzstan. The webinar is open for everyone interested and will be held via zoom (https://uni-jena-de.zoom.us/j/8941887790 Meeting-ID: 894 188 7790; Password: 820815).

Date: 22 February, 2021

Time: 3 pm GMT (3 pm London; 4 pm Berlin & Paris; 11 pm Beijing; 7 am San Francisco)