Improved Version of Active Faults Map

The Republic of Kazakhstan National Nuclear Center’s (RSE NNC RK) activity includes earthquake recording and prediction. Currently, RSE NNC RK is involved in the project “Seismic hazard and ecological safety in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan”, sponsored by NATO “Science for Peace” and participated by scientists and experts from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Great Britain, USA, Germany and France.

The project is aimed at collecting paleoseismological data for Tien Shan region of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan to construct improved map of active faults. As a part of project activity, field geological observations are scheduled along with geological research using satellite data to evaluate hazards within the Main Chingiz fault.

For reference. In the framework of the project “Earthquakes without frontiers”, starting from 2012, RSE NNC RK has successful cooperation with Universities of Cambridge and Oxford (Great Britain). The project is a very important international effort aimed at improving communication among scientists, public and governments of the involved states in terms of reduction of damage caused by strong earthquakes, dealing with severe humanitarian consequences of seismic catastrophe.

Under the project, international workshops, trainings have been held, as well as international scientific expeditions of scientists and students from various states to the source areas of the past strongest earthquakes. Several years in a row such expeditions took place in Kazakhstan at source area of the strongest Chilik earthquake dated 1889 with magnitude of M=8.4, and at the area of Lepsy earthquake, which is supposed had happened in the historical past. The expedition work resulted in practically proven fact that about 400 years ago the strongest earthquake with magnitude 8 occurred near Lepsy settlement. Time of the earthquake occurrence have been determined in Oxford laboratories using methods of radiocarbon and photo-luminescent dating. The research shown high probability of earlier very strong earthquakes, which occurred at the area. The outcomes significantly improve the evaluation of seismic hazard of the region in Kazakhstan and allows to update calculation rates during probabilistic evaluation of expected level of seismic impact.