UFAZ PhD Student’s Research Published in Science Journal

The article authored by Zaur Bayramov, a PhD student under UFAZ’s Cotutelle program jointly coordinated with ASOIU and the University of Strasbourg, has been published in Science, one of the world’s most prestigious scientific journals. Zaur has become the first researcher from Azerbaijan to publish as lead author in this globally renowned journal.

Using advanced radar-satellite and GPS technology, seismic station data, and artificial intelligence, Zaur Bayramov, together with his French collaborators Renier Viltres, Cécile Doubre, Alessia Maggi, Romain Jolivet, and Luis Rivera, observed a remarkable phenomenon in the Greater Caucasus and the Kura Basin. Their study shows that the devastating Kahramanmarash earthquakes in Turkiye on February 6, 2023 – more than 1,000 kilometers away – triggered a “silent” magnitude 6.1 earthquake in the eastern part of Azerbaijan. At the same time, 56 mud volcanoes erupted, and satellites detected the expansion of hydrocarbon reservoirs deep underground.

This silent slip, equal in energy release to a magnitude 6 earthquake, activated the entire 170-kilometer length of the West Caspian Fault (from Shamakhi to Neftchala), as well as six additional fault segments around Baku, each about 80 kilometers long. Remarkably, the event occurred without the strong shaking usually felt by people. The research team attributed this to the lubricating effect of hydrocarbon-saturated crust and mud volcano systems in the Kura Basin and eastern Greater Caucasus. The seismic waves disturbed this unstable geological environment, releasing long-accumulated tectonic stress and causing fault slip.

This achievement has also attracted international attention. The paper was highlighted by Spain’s leading media outlet EL PAÍS and France’s The Conversation France. EL PAÍS even discussed the long history of Azerbaijan’s mud volcanoes, dating back to the times of Alexander the Great and Marco Polo.

Zaur Bayramov has also been invited to present these findings internationally. Earlier this year, he delivered a seminar at the University of Oxford and previously presented his research at leading conferences in France (Orléans and Corsica) and Austria.

Zaur Bayramov’s success marks a significant step for Azerbaijani science on the global stage. We warmly congratulate UFAZ’s PhD student and wish him even greater achievements in the future.