HIERARCHY OF THE KAMCHATKAN RING STRUCTURES AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH LINEAR FAULTS

The block structure of the Kamchatka Peninsula has been analyzed at different hierarchical levels. Structurally concordant block models for the region have been constructed with the help of our own technique based on the discrete hierarchical block model for the Earth’s crust proposed by Academician M. A. Sadovskii. Reliability of the obtained structural model is confirmed by comparison with literature data. It is shown that active volcanoes, ore deposits, and hydrothermal sources occur near interblock boundaries of a certain rank. It is shown that the ring structures are ranked to follow the principle of hierarchy. As for linear features of the Earth’s crust, the ratio between typical sizes of ring structures that pertain to neighboring intervals of a series corresponds to Sadovskii’s model and approximates three. Regularities of the mutual disposition of linear and ring structures have been established. Analysis of the proposed block models suggests that the ring morphostructures are associated with the tectonic nodes formed by the intersection of interblock boundaries. The centers of ring morphostructures occur at one of the intersecting faults (crossing) and are shifted along it the radius apart from the other (tangential) fault. These regularities seem to be of genetic nature and are due to specific features of the deformation of a hierarchical block medium. A particular deformation mechanism leading to such structures remains to be worked out, but at present the established regularities may be of practical importance, e.g., for recognizing sites of increased permeability of the Earth’s crust.