Abstract:
The seismotectonic characteristics of Bulgaria are studied using all the available geological and geophysical data. A subdivision of the country into three seismic megazones and then into fifteen seismogenic zones is proposed, and their seismic and tectonic characteristics are analysed. The fifteen seismogenic zones cannot be considered as seismic sources because an evident correlation between seismicity and tectonic structures seldom appears; they can be used, however, for seismic hazard purposes. The zones of the southern part of Bulgaria have been the most active during the last ten centuries, while the central area has been active mainly in recent years.