Publications about the earthquake foci migration have been reviewed. An important result of such studies is establishment of wave nature of seismic activity migration that is manifested by two types of rotational waves; such waves are responsible for interaction between earthquakes foci and propagate with different velocities. Waves determining long-range interaction of earthquake foci are classified as Type 1; their limiting velocities range from 1 to 10 cm/s. Waves determining short-range interaction of foreshocks and aftershocks of individual earthquakes are classified as Type 2; their velocities range from 1 to 10 km/s. According to the classification described in [Bykov, 2005], these two types of migration waves correspond to slow and fast tectonic waves. The most complete data on earthquakes (for a period over 4.1 million of years) and volcanic eruptions (for 12 thousand years) of the planet are consolidated in a unified systematic format and analyzed by methods developed by the authors. For the Pacific margin, Alpine-Himalayan belt and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which are the three most active zones of the Earth, new patterns of spatial and temporal distribution of seismic and volcanic activity are revealed; they correspond to Type 1 of rotational waves. The wave nature of the migration of seismic and volcanic activity is confirmed. A new approach to solving problems of geodynamics is proposed with application of the data on migration of seismic and volcanic activity, which are consolidated in this study, in combination with data on velocities of movement of tectonic plate boundaries. This approach is based on the concept of integration of seismic, volcanic and tectonic processes that develop in the block geomedium and interact with each other through rotating waves with a symmetric stress tensor. The data obtained in this study give grounds to suggest that a geodynamic value, that is mechanically analogous to an impulse, remains constant in such interactions. It is thus shown that the process of wave migration of geodynamic activity should be described by models with strongly nonlinear equations of motion.

The work considers the mechanism of upwelling of the basaltic melt to the surface and the reason of its stoppage in the crust. The process of stoppage, probably, is controlled by ratio between density of the basaltic melt and density of the crust. If density of the basaltic melt is lower it goes up to the surface without significant stoppage, if the opposite it stays in the crust. Because the melt density decreases with increase of its alkalinity and/ or fluid content, it explains why highly alkaline melts are characterized by low degree of crustal contamination compared to normal alkaline dry melts.

The cataclastic method developed by Yu.L. Rebetsky is applied to reconstruct the recent field of stresses related to aftershock sequences of earthquakes that occurred in the Altai-Sayan mountainous region, specifically the Altai earthquake of 27 September 2003 (М=7.3; φ=50.061o; λ=87.966o) and the Busingol earthquake of 27 December 1991 (М=5.0; φ=51.1o; λ=98.13o). Upon reconstruction of the field of stresses from data on aftershocks of different magnitudes, it is revealed that orientations of maximum stresses are misaligned, and this may suggest a lack of similarity of fields of stresses in different scale ranks. The fields of stresses reconstructed from data on sequences of weak aftershocks of the Altai and Busingol earthquakes show changes in orientations of major stress axes at opposite sides of the shear faults under study. The orientation of the maximum deviation stress axes due to strong aftershocks is consistent with the regional field of stresses and does not change in the vicinity of the fault plane associated with the strong earthquakes the Altai and Sayan regions.

Based on the catalogue of earthquakes of the Kuril-Kamchatka region for the period from 1737 to 2007, a 3D model may zones of potential earthquake foci is developed for the Southern Kuril territory. The model can be useful for seismic hazard forecasting. Boundaries of structural elements of the zones with potential earthquake foci are determined by seismic methods.

Drifting and submeridional compression of the continental and oceanic lithosphere, both with the northward vector (Figure 1) are revealed at the background of various directions of horizontal displacement combined with deformations of horizontal extension, compression and shear of the lithosphere (Figures 7–14). Among various structural forms and their paragenezises, indicators of such compression, the north vergence thrusts play the leading role (Figures 15–17, 19, and 22–24). This process was discontinuous, manifested discretely in time, and superimposed on processes of collisional orogenesis and platform deformations of the continental lithosphere and accretion of the oceanic lithosphere in spreading zones. Three main stages of submeridional compression of the oceanic lithosphere are distinguished as follows: Late Jurassic-Late Cretaceous, Late Miocene, and the contemporary stages.

Based on the concept of balanced tectonic flow in the Earth’s body, a model of meridional convection (Figure 25) is proposed. In this case, meridional convection is considered as an integral element of the overglobal convective geodynamic system of the largest-scale rank, which also includes the western component of the lithosphere drift (Figure 6) and the Earth’s ‘wrenching’. At the background of this system, geodynamic systems of smaller scale ranks are functioning (Table 1; Figures 2, and 3). The latters are responsible for the periodic creation and break-up of supercontinents, plate tectonics and regional geodynamical processes; they also produce the ‘structural background’, in the presence of which it is challenging to reveal the above mentioned submeridional compression structures. Formation of such structures is caused by the upper horizontal flow of meridional convection.

Meridional convection occurs due to drifting of the Earth core towards the North Pole (which is detected by a number of independent methods) and resistance of the mantle to drifting (Figures 26, and 27).

By comparing the equations that describe the model of the northern drift of the lithosphere and the model of the core drift towards the North Pole, it is possible to establish a quantitative ‘bridge’ between the structures of meridional compression of the lithosphere and the core drifting structures.

Conclusions based on the model of the northern drift of the lithosphere conform to many independent data and concepts, such as disturbance of the isostatic equilibrium of the Antarctica lithosphere and its high standing; the anomalously wide shelf of the Arctic ocean (Figure 28а) and the increased thickness of the sediment cover, that is rich in hydrocarbons, in combination with the ultralow velocity of spreading in Gakkel Ridge; the approximately equal areas of Antarctica and the Arctic ocean as antipodes (Figure 28б); elongation (according to GPS data) of the parallels in the Southern hemisphere, and their shortening in the Northern hemisphere (Figure 26); radial (relative to the South Pole) rifts and other lineaments in Antarctica (Figures 29, and 30); the sub-concentric (relative to the same pole) system of spreading around Antarctica, which develops northward into the submeridional system including three ‘trunks’ at a distance of about 90° (Figure 31).

Due to the higher velocity of the northern drift of the lithosphere within the band with the middle meridian 100° E – 80° W, wherein the main mass of the continental lithosphere is concentrated and whose two ‘poles’ are marked by the axes of the African and Pacific superplumes (Figures 3, 4, 5, and 32), the following specific features have developed: maximum elongation of the Antarctic continent in the Southern (‘stretched’) hemisphere (Figure 28 б); maximum shortening of the Arctic ocean in the Northern (‘compressed’) hemisphere (Figure 28а); maximum spreading velocity in the SouthEastern Indian Ridge (Figure 33); maximum northern component of the horizontal displacements velocity (according to GPS data) (Figure 34); the mantle Sunda diapir of maximum width and depth (to 400 km); the Himalayas as an orogen of maximum height; Tibet as a plateau of maximum width and height; and Baikal as a rift of maximum length and depth. The Hindustan indenter is neighboring this meridional band (Figure 20). The Himalayas, Tibet and more remote Baikal are located at its front, and the zone of intra-plate deformations (also caused by the meridional compression) is revealed in the rear. Also associated with this band is the Taimyr Peninsula (Figure 28а), in the direction of which the Earth core drifts.

The review summary states that studies of the hierarchical subordination of geodynamic systems is top in the scientific agenda, and researches of orientation of the Earth’s surface deformation structures in relation to the elements of the stress field are important. It is noted that the proposed classification of geological objects by ranks is ambiguous, and there is a need for a geodynamic model to provide a basis for studying relationships between the fields of forces, stresses and strains on the surface and processes which take place deep in the core and mantle of the Earth.