Onovikov Novikova’s scientific contributions

The phenomenological approach based on pattern recognition is employed to identify seismogenic nodes capable of earthquakes with M5+ in the northeast part of Egypt. The methodology is based on the idea that earthquakes nucleate at nodes, specific structures forming around fault intersections. Morphostructural zoning (MZ) is used to identify nodes over the entire study region without using the a priori knowledge of regional seismicity. MZ delineates a hierarchical system of blocks with their boundaries, morphostructural lineaments. Each intersection of lineaments is treated as a node. The pattern recognition is employed to identify seismogenic nodes where earthquakes with M5+ may occur in the future. Nodes are divided by the pattern recognition algorithm Cora-3 into seismogenic (D) and non-seismogenic (N) on the base of geomorphic, geological, and gravity parameters describing nodes. As a result, seismogenic nodes capable of earthquakes with M5+ have been defined in the Sinai Peninsula and the northern part of the Eastern Desert. Characteristic geological-geophysical features discriminating seismogenic nodes from non-seismogenic ones have been also defined. The results obtained provide information for long-term seismic hazard assessment on the potential earthquake sources in northeast Egypt. The recognition performed, pinpoints a number of D nodes where moderate events have not been recorded to date that could provide additional information to improve seismogenic source models. Some of the recognized D nodes give more knowledge about seismic risk affecting special sites like water power plants and dams as well as large metropolitan areas. These results could improve the performance of seismic hazard map of Egypt.