NONLINEARITIES AND FRACTAL PROPERTIES OF THE EUROPEAN-MEDITERRANEAN SEISMOTECTONIC MODEL

Abstract

This paper presents research results of the study which aim is to reveal and quantitatively describe fractal properties of the European-Mediterranean seismotectonic model applied for seismic hazard assessment of the region under study.Several seismotectonic provinces are defined, and their nonlinear properties are calculated using both linear elements (boundaries of seismogenic units) and surface areas of the seismogenic units.The research is conducted on the basis of only formal relationships, not with data on real fault structures or other seismogenic elements, as the relationships have been accepted for seismic hazard calculations by the team of SESAME Project (Project Leader M. Jimenec) and published by Jimenec et al. [2001].Special attention is paid to the Balkan seismotectonic model in order to develop a common seismotectonic model which uses data from the seismic hazard map for a period of 475 years (according the EUROCODE8), that was published in Muco et al. [2008].All the calculations considered only the seismogenic units located in the earth crust, but not deeper seismogenic layers.It is concluded that most of the seismogenic provinces are similar in their fractal properties, which varied in a narrow range, except for the Adriatic one. The formal approach does not permit to explain these peculiarities.

Keywords

• euro-mediterranean seismotectonics
• fractals
• nonlinearities