Dr. Dragana Chernih-Anastasovska
Course content:
Earthquakes: definition, types, causes of occurrence, basic parameters of the location (hypocenter, epicenter), and two types of interpretation - mechanical waves through the Earth's material or oscillations of the entire Earth. Mechanics of the continuous medium as a basic tool in the study of earthquakes. A complete system of equations of motion of the deformable Earth. Direct and inverse tasks in seismology. Seismometry (seismometers, velocimeters, accelerometers, extensometers; recorders; seismological networks). Spatial and surface seismic waves. Oscillations of the whole Earth. Tsunami. Interpretation and analysis of seismograms: determination of onset times of individual seismic waves/oscillations, the hypocenter and the magnitude of the earthquake; magnitude scales. Seismic noise. Basics of macroseismics: earthquake intensity, general forms of the law of its damping and its empirical relations with earthquake magnitude and depth; macroseismic scales. Earthquake energy. Dynamic fracture/fault propagation as the most likely model of the tectonic seismic source.The seismic cycle corresponding to the dynamic fracture/fault according to modern fracture mechanics and seismological data. Fault elements, parameters and types. Fault mechanism. A seismic moment. The most probable physical model of the Earth's interior according to seismological data. Fundamentals of seismotectonics: plate tectonics of the lithosphere; global, regional and local seismotectonically active zones. Richter-Gutenberg's empirical relation for the frequency of earthquakes with different magnitudes. Earthquake forecasting capabilities. Basic concepts of engineering seismology: seismic hazard and risk, seismic zoning and microzoning.