Seismic regime study of Zavkhan province, Mongolia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5564/mjag.v12i1.5199Keywords:
seismic regime, Gutenberg–Richter relation, a–b values, active faults, tectonic stress, seismic hazard, Zavkhan ProvinceAbstract
This study analyzes the seismicity and earthquake frequency–magnitude relationship of Zavkhan Province and its surrounding areas based on the earthquake catalog covering the period 1900–2024. A total of approximately 68,500 earthquakes recorded by the National Data Center of the Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (IAG), Mongolian Academy of Sciences, were compiled, and events with magnitudes Mw ≥ 1.0 were selected for statistical analysis. The Gutenberg–Richter relationship, , was applied, and the parameters were determined using a linear regression method. For the entire study area, the parameters were obtained as a = 3.8 and b = 0.78, indicating that Zavkhan Province represents a stress-dominant tectonic environment characterized by moderate seismic activity. For the main active fault zones within the region: Bulnai, Tsetserleg, Teregtiin, Düngen, and Khukh Davaa, the a- and b-values range between a = 2.40–3.23 and b = 0.70–0.91, respectively. These variations reveal spatial heterogeneity in stress concentration and seismic activity across the province. Lower b-values in the western and central zones suggest higher stress accumulation and a greater likelihood of larger earthquakes, whereas higher b-values in the eastern zones indicate relatively stable tectonic conditions. The results of this study provide important baseline data for seismic hazard assessment and microzonation studies in Zavkhan Province.
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