Sergo Ordzhonikidze Russian State Geological Prospecting University, Moscow, Russia:

V. Yu. Kerimov, Pro-Rector for Science, Professor, Doctor of Geologo-Mineralogical Sciences
R. N. Mustaev, Head of Basic and Applied Research Department, Associate Professor, Candidate of Geologo-Mineralogical Sciences, mustaevrn@mgri-rggru.ru
U. S. Serikova, Associate Professor, Candidate of Engineering Sciences

Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas (National Research University), Moscow, Russia:
K. I. Dantsova, Assistant

The most important features of the structure of the Caspian–Black Sea region is its stress state, as well as high and diverse geodynamic, volcanic, seismic and geo-fluid dynamic activity. The geodynamic activity is associated with various kinds of relaxation of fluid dynamic stresses, primarily intensive upward flows of various mobile fluids and their components and manifestation of thermobaric anomalies. A vivid manifestation of geodynamic activity is its explosive variety—sedimentary volcanism: mud, gas and oil, mixed, etc., which, in turn, determine the intensity of geo-fluid dynamics processes. The main research methods used in the work are: paleotectonic reconstructions, geomechanical modeling and numerical spatio–temporal basin modeling. The study of the mechanisms of the movement of plastic clay masses from overstressed synclinal zones to understressed weak pressure zone, namely, into the dome of the folds, shows that such displacements, including vertical movement, are possible mainly under conditions of culminating manifestations of anomalously high pore pressures and the related induced various geological processes having the corresponding gradients. In the Cenozoic basins of the Caspian–Black Sea region, the geodynamic mechanisms associated with geo-fluid dynamics processes owing to the elastoplastic properties of thick clay strata dominate under such conditions. In a more general case, it seems reasonable to come to an inference that one of the essential factors in the formation of the described types of folding in geosynclinal regions is the effect of anomalous pressures in regional geo-fluid dynamic processes. The geo-fluid dynamic activity of the Caspian–Black Sea region can be estimated by the frequency of eruption of mud volcanoes. All small-focus earthquakes are located exclusively within the geofluid-dynamically active zones. This means that geo-fluid-dynamic processes are one of the main mechanisms of small-focus seismicity. The energy and thickness of the fluid-generating processes in the source will characterize the strength of small-focus earthquakes and mud volcanoes.

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