Crustal Seismotectonic Deformations in Central and Western Tien-Shan

A study of the Western and Central Tien-Shan, an area of intracontinental collision, reveals significant crustal seismotectonic deformations. The research identifies zones of intense seismic activity and high concentrations of earthquake-generating faults, with the highest deformation intensity (IΣ = ~9 × 10⁻⁸ yr⁻¹) observed at the junction between Southern Tien-Shan and Northern Pamirs. Using seismotectonic deformation (STD) analysis based on over 84,000 earthquakes from 1902–2019, the study highlights that most earthquake ruptures occur at shallow depths (0–5 km). The principal stress axes for these events predominantly align between 300° and 360°, indicating a consistent direction of compression. The findings also show a high level of deformation diversity across the region, with good consistency between STD models and GPS data.

Sycheva, N. A. (2021). Crustal Seismotectonic Deformations in Central and Western Tien-Shan. Journal of Volcanology and Seismology, 15(6), 414–434. https://doi.org/10.1134/s0742046321060105