Introducing the PhD themes of our young researchers - Lovro Rupar
High-resolution geophysical investigations for seismotectonic characterization of active fault structures with ground penetrating radar and electrical tomography
Lovro Rupar, after graduating with a Bachelor's and Master's degree at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, University of Ljubljana, is working on his PhD thesis on high-resolution geophysical and tectonic-geomorphological surveys to be applied in Slovenia and Croatia. The two countries are located at the active convergent contact of the Adriatic microplate and the European plate with numerous active fault systems and moderate seismic activity. Therefore, the identification and characterisation of active faults by geological and tectono-geomorphological mapping methods is difficult. In particular, the complex regional structural framework, the numerous tectonic phases, the low rate of deformation, the high rate of erosion and denudation, the anthropogenic alteration of the drainage network and the slope mass movements that may obscure the surface reflection of the fault.
High-resolution geophysical and tectono-geomorphological surveys will be carried out on at least three major active faults characterised by poor seismotectonic parameterisation, different tectonic regimes, relatively low strain rates and very different composition and thickness of younger sediments at the surface. This represents a major challenge for the optimisation of survey design, field measurements and data processing for different geological and tectonic conditions, which will require new methodological solutions. The objective of the geophysical surveys is to identify possible deformation of Quaternary sediments shallow below the surface, to assess the complexity of the fault zone and its location in the basement, and to assess the potential for further palaeoseismological exploratory excavations.
The results of targeted research will provide an assessment of the applicability of individual geophysical methods in different tectonic and sedimentological settings. At the same time, they will provide an indication of the transferability of the geophysical methods used to other faults in similar geological settings. In addition, the integration of different high-resolution geophysical surveys will allow the identification and discrimination of the influence of deformation mechanisms on the sedimentation of Quaternary sediments. The identified seismotectonic parameters will contribute to the updating of the map of active faults in Slovenia. This is one of the key inputs for the new probabilistic seismic hazard calculation (PSHA) method, the estimation of the maximum possible earthquake magnitude and return period, and the estimation of the surface rupture probability.
The supervisor of the PhD thesis is doc. dr. Marjana Zajc.