Identification of giant mass movements in the Lesser Caucasus and assessment of their spatial relationship with major fault zones and volcanoes
Matossian, Alice
Promotor(s) :
Havenith, Hans-Balder
Date of defense : 7-Sep-2017 • Permalink : http://hdl.handle.net/2268.2/3111
Details
Title : | Identification of giant mass movements in the Lesser Caucasus and assessment of their spatial relationship with major fault zones and volcanoes |
Author : | Matossian, Alice ![]() |
Date of defense : | 7-Sep-2017 |
Advisor(s) : | Havenith, Hans-Balder ![]() |
Committee's member(s) : | Hubert, Aurelia ![]() Karakhanian, A. Schlögel, Romy |
Language : | English |
Keywords : | [fr] landslide [fr] Armenia [fr] spatial analysis [fr] landslide susceptibility map [fr] H/V method |
Discipline(s) : | Physical, chemical, mathematical & earth Sciences > Earth sciences & physical geography |
Institution(s) : | Université de Liège, Liège, Belgique |
Degree: | Master en sciences géologiques, à finalité approfondie |
Faculty: | Master thesis of the Faculté des Sciences |
Abstract
[fr] The goal of this master thesis was, first, to identify all major landslides in Western Armenia and the Ararat region and, second, to analyse their distribution (spatial analyses) with respect to the distance to major active faults and to volcanic areas. From the results of the spatial analyses, different landslide susceptibility maps were created considering morphological, geological and tectonogeological factors. The spatial analyses have been carried out with GIS tools using as inputs two landslide catalogues (the GEORISK inventory and the new MATOSSIAN catalogue): the first one was provided by the GEORISK Scientific Research Company (Yerevan) and the second one was generated during this work. The first catalogue covers all Armenia, whereas our catalogue covers only the areas including the Pambak-Sevan-Syunik and the Garni Faults as well as several volcanic areas.
These NW-SE oriented faults are mainly marked by dextral strike-slip movements locally combined with reverse mechanisms. Along these fault zones strong historical earthquakes occurred, as for example the 1679 Garni earthquake which caused widespread destruction and also reactivated landslides located near the Garni Fault. According to historical sources, the 1679 event reached a magnitude of M ∼ 5.5 – 7 with an intensity between VIII and X.
The volcanic areas include the NNW-SSE-oriented Ghegham and the NW-SE Vardeniss ridges. Some of the volcanoes along these ridges erupted during the Holocene. Nowadays, more than 80% of Armenia is covered by Quaternary volcanic formations or friable deposits which are favourable to the formation of landslides. Actually, the analysis revealed that the MATOSSIAN catalogue shows some spatial link between the location of landslides and the presence of the volcanic deposits (which is less obvious if we use the GEORISK catalogue as input).
Additional digital data, such as shapefiles of rivers, volcanoes, faults and geological formations, were also provided by GEORISK Scientific Research Company (GEORISK SRC).
In addition, two landslides (Vokhjaberd & Garni landslides), of assumed seismic origin in the vicinity of Garni, Armenia (Lesser Caucasus), have been investigated during a geophysical field survey in September 2016. On the basis of the collected geophysical data (microseismic ambient noise measurements, i.e. H/V method), the thickness of the landslide deposits has been estimated and 2D geological section as well as 3D geomodel were developed. The analysis of the ambient noise data further revealed some differences in H/V amplitude ratio between the ancient and the active landslides.
The original trigger of those landslides is not known – but one major reactivation by the 1679 Garni earthquake has been proved.
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