Seismic “Incident” of 1185 in the Northern Sea of Azov: Contemporary Analysis of the Earthquake in an Active Seismogenic Zone

The earthquake and tsunami that occurred in 1185 in the North Azov region is considered here using the multidisciplinary approach for the first time in professional literature, based on indications from the Old Russian written source, The Tale of Igor’s Campaign . Problems such as the relationship between earthquake and tsunami, shaking intensity, geographic position, and other location conditions are addressed. The epicenter area is established to be the northeastern shore of the Sea of Azov. Information is given about earthquakes in the region for 200 years and their confinement to the sublatitudinally extending northeastern shore of the sea is found. The revealed seismogenic zone is correlated with the North-Azov fault, a large tectonic structure of the same orientation. Finally, based on archeoseismic data, which have not been previously employed in a seismic hazard assessment in the framework of making General Seismic Zoning maps, the question is raised of assessing the seismic potential of the zone.