Abstract
We have detected at least 16 extremely large landslides (0.2–2.8 km3) in an ~800 km long stretch of the hilly northern foothills of the Caucasus-Crimean orogene (Russia, Ukraine). All landslides originated within tectonically inverted foredeep basins formed predominantly by the Neogene clay-rich substratum (claystones, marls and occasionally limestones). The landslides, which evolved as blockslides combined in their distal parts with earthflows, are characterized by an extremely low height to length ratio (0.05–0.08). OSL and radiocarbon dating of deposits of the selected landslides pointed to various stages of the last glacial and Holocene. The largest landslide observed in the Kuban river valley/Russia (32 km2; 2.8 km3) originated between ca 13 and 35 ka BP during the last glacial. The activity of the Crimean landslides/Ukraine was determined to two main stages: the interval between the end of the last glacial and ca 6 ka BP, and ca 1–1.5 ka BP. Although the determination of triggering factors of ancient megalandslides is difficult, we exemine the palaeoseismic hypothesis considering surface rupturing of some Late Quaternary faults in the vicinity of the landslides. Potential seismic origin of the megalandslide in the Kuban river valley is in line with the presence of nearby situated tectonically deformed late Pleistocene river terraces. Crimean and Kuban landslides are situated along the regional tectonic zones bordering the Alpine orogenic belt and the ancient Scythian platform. Taking into account semiarid continental climatic conditions in the time of the landslide formation, palaeoseismic scenario seems to be quite reliable.
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Acknowledgments
This research was supported by the project of the University of Ostrava Foundation SGS6/PřF/2011. Thanks are extended to Monika Hradecká for English language review. We also address our acknowledgement to Irina Gvozdeva and all employees from the Northern Caucasus Centre of Geomonitoring (Essentuky) who supported organising field works as well as to Dr. V. Stepanchuk from the Institute of Archaeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine/Kiev who helped us with the research in the Crimean Mountains.
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Pánek, T., Hradecký, J., Šilhán, K., Strom, A., Smolková, V., Zerkal, O. (2013). Low-Gradient Megalandslides at the Northern Boundary of the Caucasus-Crimean Orogene: Seismically Induced?. In: Ugai, K., Yagi, H., Wakai, A. (eds) Earthquake-Induced Landslides. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-32238-9_25
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