Source of Strong Earthquake as a Geological Object

The paper considers the results of a study of modern strong earthquakes (1991 Racha, 2006 Olyutor, 2003 Altai, and 2011–2012 Tuva) according to a single methodological plan. The need for such studies is dictated by constantly increasing requirements on the accuracy of predicting hazardous natural impacts. Analysis of the seismotectonic conditions of the locations of sources of strong earthquakes made it possible to identify geological structures and thus form an idea of the morphotectonic criteria for identifying potential sources in other regions. Modern earthquakes have continued the development of different-scale tectonic structures directly expressed in the modern relief. These activated structures form regular combinations inscribed in morphostructures of different scales. The displacements during modern earthquakes continue the development of morphostructures traced throughout the Middle Pleistocene–Holocene. The size and number of morphostructures involved in seismic activation are directly related to the magnitude of an event and reflect the specific hierarchical level of seismogenesis. In order to assess the seismic hazard, it is important that the presence or absence of pronounced active faults on the surface does not directly reflect the level of seismic hazard.