Depositional models for fine-grained sediment in the western Hellenic Trench, Eastern Mediterranean

Sediment in tectonically active, topographically restricted settings of the western Hellenic Arc, eastern Mediterranean, consists primarily of clayey silt and silty clay. Failure of metastable sediment temporarily stored on relatively steep slopes is triggered by earthquake tremors and eustatic oscillations. Redeposition of these materials by gravitative transport has resulted in markedly different lithofacies from site to site. Most piston cores include three Late Quaternary stratigraphic units that can be correlated with sections in other parts of the eastern Mediterranean; numerous radiocarbon-age determinations enhance the correlation. Seven fine-grained sediment types are identified in cores from eight distinct depositional environments. Some muds are closely related to specific environments (slump and debris flow deposits on slope and high-relief environments), or to time (well laminated mud during the latest Pleistocene-mid-Holocene), or to both (uniform and faintly laminated muds restricted to trench basins). Turbiditic and hemipelagic muds are common throughout the study area. Mud distribution patterns correlate closely with calculated sedimentation rates. We propose two depositional models for these sediments. The first emphasizes downslope transformations resulting in progressively reduced flow concentration during transport: from slump and debris flow–>turbidity current–>low density turbidity current or turbid layer mechanisms. The distal end-member deposits settling from low concentration flows are thick, rapidly emplaced, fine-grained uniform muds closely associated with faintly laminated muds. These were ponded in flat trench basin-plains. Planktonic and terrigenous fractions in the turbiditic, finely laminated and uniform muds record mixing of materials of gravitative and suspension origin during redeposition. This sequence prevails under conditions of minimal stratification of water masses, as characterized by the present Mediterranean. In the second model developed for conditions of well-developed water mass stratification, well laminated rather than uniform mud prevails as the end product of low concentration flows. These very finely laminated and graded muds record particle-by-particle settling from detached turbid layers concentrated along density interfaces; they include material from turbid layers complemented by the normal ‘rain’ of pelagic material. Stratification barriers resulted in region-wide distribution of such deposits, in both slope and trench environments.     

Geoelectric investigation of the Hellenic subduction zone using long period magnetotelluric data

The strongest evidence up to date for a subduction zone in the Hellenic region is a clearly identified Wadati-Benioff zone below the central Aegean Sea, to a maximum depth of 180 km. Alternative seismic tomography models suggest that subduction process continues deeper than the Wadati-Benioff zone to a maximum depth of at least 600 km. So far the lack of deep electrical studies in the region impeded scientists from imposing other control factors than seismic to the proposed models for the Hellenic Subduction Zone (HSZ). A Long Period Magnetotelluric (LMT) study was carried out in the southern part of the Greek mainland to study the deep electrical characteristics of the HSZ and examine whether prominent modelled features correlate with structures identified by the seismic methods. The study comprised collection, processing and modelling of magnetotelluric (MT) data in the period range 100–10000 s from ten sites located along a 250 km NE–SW trending profile. The dimensionality of the data was examined at a pre-modelling stage and it was found that they do not exhibit three-dimensional (3-D) features. The latter enabled to construct both one-dimensional (1-D) and two-dimensional (2-D) models. The proposed geoelectric model for HSZ was based on 2-D modelling, since it had better maximum depth resolution of about 400 km, and revealed structures not detected by 1-D modelling attempts. The model structure which was related to the African and Euro-Asian lithosphere is relatively resistive (> 800 Ω-m) and has an average thickness of 150–170 km. Although the bottom of the lithosphere is adequately resolved, the Wadati-Benioff zone that delineates the top of the subducting lithospheric slab is not identified by any electrical feature. The modelled structure associated with the subducting part of the African lithosphere penetrates a relatively conductive (< 200 Ω-m) asthenosphere with a dip angle of 42°. Intermediate electrical resistivities (200–800 Ω-m) are attributed to the ascending melting part of the lithosphere below the region of the Hellenic Volcanic Arc (HVA) and to a dipping zone below the south-western part of the profile, at 170–220 km depths.     

Rheological evolution of a Mediterranean subduction complex

We use field and microstructural observations, coupled to previously published P-T-time histories, to track the rheological evolution of an intracontinental subduction complex exposed in the Betic Cordillera in the western Mediterranean region. The body of rock we focus on, known as the Nevado-Filabride Complex (NFC), was originally part of the upper crust of the Iberian margin. It was subducted into hot asthenospheric mantle, then exhumed back toward the surface in two stages: an early stage of fast exhumation along the top of the subducting slab in a subduction channel, and a late stage of slower exhumation resulting from capture by a low-angle detachment fault rooted at the brittle-ductile transition. Each stage of deformation in the NFC was punctuated by changes in the dominant deformation mechanism. Deformation during initial subduction of the complex was accommodated by pressure-solution creep in the presence of a fluid phase – the grain sizes, stress magnitudes, and estimated strain rates for this stage are most consistent with a thin-film model for pressure solution in which the diffusion length scale is controlled by the grain size. During the early stages of exhumation within the subduction channel, deformation transitioned from pressure solution to dislocation creep due to increases in temperature, which resulted in increases in both water fugacity and grain size, each of which favor the dislocation creep mechanism. Differential stress magnitudes for this stage were ∼10 MPa, and are consistent with simple models of buoyancy-driven channel flow. With continuing subduction-channel exhumation, deformation remained within the dislocation creep field because sequestration of free water into hydrous, retrogressive minerals suppressed the pressure-solution mechanism. Differential stresses progressively increased to ∼100 MPa near the mouth of the channel during cooling as the rocks moved into mid-crustal levels. During the final, core-complex stage of exhumation, deformation was progressively concentrated into a narrow zone of highly localized strain beneath a mid-crustal detachment fault. Localization was promoted by a transition from dislocation creep to dislocation-creep-accommodated grain boundary sliding at temperatures of ∼350–380 °C, grain sizes of ∼4 μm and differential stress magnitudes of ∼200 MPa. Peak differential stress magnitudes of ∼200 MPa recorded just below the brittle-ductile transition are consistent with Byerlee's law in the upper crust assuming a vertical maximum principal stress and near-hydrostatic pore fluid pressures. Overall, the distribution of stress with temperature, coupled to independent constraints on strain rate from field observations and geochronology, indicate that the naturally calibrated Hirth et al. (2001) flow law for wet quartzite accurately predicts the rheological behavior of mid-crustal rocks deforming by dislocation creep.     

Jurassic strike slip versus subduction in the Eastern Alps

Late Jurassic formations of the Northern Calcareous Alps (NCA) contain ample evidence of synsedimentary tectonics in the form of elongate basins filled with turbidites, debris flows and slumps. Clasts are derived from the Mesozoic of the NCA; they commonly measure tens of metres in diameter and occasionally form kilometre-size bodies. These sedimentologic observations and the presumed evidence of Late Jurassic high-pressure metamorphism recently led to the hypothesis of a south-dipping Jurassic subduction zone with accretionary wedge in the southern parts of the NCA. We present new ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dates from the location of the postulated high-pressure metamorphism that bracket the age of this crystallization not earlier than 114–120 Ma. The event is therefore part of the well-documented mid-Cretaceous metamorphism of the Austro-alpine domain. Thus, there is currently no evidence of Late Jurassic high-pressure metamorphism to support the subduction hypothesis. The sediment record of the Late Jurassic deformation in the NCA, including the formation of local thrust sheets, is no conclusive evidence for subduction. All these phenomena are perfectly compatible with synsedimentary strike-slip tectonics. Large strike-slip fault zones with restraining and releasing bends and associated flower structures and pull-apart basins are a perfectly viable alternative to the subduction model for the Late Jurassic history of the NCA. However, in contrast to the Eastern Alps transect, where arguments for a Jurassic subduction are missing, a glaucophane bearing Jurassic high-pressure metamorphism in the Meliatic realm of the West Carpathians is well documented. There, the high-pressure/low-temperature slices occur between the Gemeric unit and the Silica nappe system (including the Aggtelek-Rudabanya units), which corresponds in facies with the Juvavic units in the southern part of the NCA. To solve the contrasting palaeogeographic reconstructions we propose that the upper Jurassic left lateral strike-slip system proposed here for the Eastern Alps continued eastwards and caused the eastward displacement of the Silica units into the Meliatic accretionary wedge.     

Variation of seismic coupling with slab detachment and upper plate structure along the western Hellenic subduction zone

The western Hellenic subduction zone is characterized by a trenchward velocity of the upper plate. In the Ionian islands segment, complete seismic coupling is achieved, as is predicted by standard plate-tectonic models in which there is no slab pull force because the slab has broken off. The moderate local seismic moment rate relates to a shallow downdip limit for the seismogenic interface. This characteristic may be attributed to the ductility of the lower crust of the upper plate, which allows a décollement between the upper crust of the overriding plate and the subducting plate. Farther south, a deeper downdip limit of the seismogenic interface is indicated by thrust-faulting earthquakes, which persist much deeper in western Crete. A correspondingly larger downdip width of this seismogenic zone is consistent with the suggested larger maximum magnitude of earthquakes here. However, since the seismic moment release rate seems to be moderate in the Peloponnese and western Crete, like in in the Ionian islands, this seismically active interface cannot maintain complete seismic coupling across its larger downdip width. A cause may be the lateral addition of overweight to the part of the slab still attached in Crete, by the free fall of its part that has broken off from the surface further north. This increased slab pull reduces the compressive normal stress across the seismogenic interface and thus causes partial seismic coupling in its shallower part. However, the width of this part may provide an additional area contributing to slip in large earthquakes, which may nucleate deeper on stick-slip parts of the interface. Hints at anomalies in structure and seismicity, which need to be resolved, may relate to the present location of the edge of the tear in the slab.     

Seismicity of the Hellenic subduction zone in the area of western and central Crete observed by temporary local seismic networks

Temporary local seismic networks were installed in western Crete, in central Crete, and on the island Gavdos south of western Crete, respectively, in order to image shallow seismically active zones of the Hellenic subduction zone.More than 4000 events in the magnitude range between −0.5 and 4.8 were detected and localized. The resulting three-dimensional hypocenter distribution allows the localization of seismically active zones in the area of western and central Crete from the Mediterranean Ridge to the Cretan Sea. Furthermore, a three-dimensional structural model of the studied region was compiled based on results of wide-angle seismics, surface wave analysis and receiver function studies. The comparison of the hypocenter distribution and the structure has allowed intraplate and interplate seismicity to be distinguished.High interplate seismicity along the interface between the subducting African lithosphere and the Aegean lithosphere was found south of western Crete where the interface is located at about 20 to 40 km depth. An offset between the southern border of the Aegean lithosphere and the southern border of active interplate seismicity is observed. In the area of Crete, the offset varies laterally along the Hellenic arc between about 50 and 70 km.A southwards dipping zone of high seismicity within the Aegean lithosphere is found south of central Crete in the region of the Ptolemy trench. It reaches from the interface between the plates at about 30 km depth towards the surface. In comparison, the Aegean lithosphere south of western Crete is seismically much less active including the region of the Ionian trench. Intraplate seismicity within the Aegean plate beneath Crete and north of Crete is confined to the upper about 20 km. Between 20 and 40 km depth beneath Crete, the Aegean lithosphere appears to be seismically inactive. In western Crete, the southern and western borders of this aseismic zone correlate strongly with the coastline of Crete.     

Kinematics of the Eastern Mediterranean region and the WEGENER-MEDLAS project

The Eastern Mediterranean is a region of complex kinematic behaviour resulting from the collision of the African/Arabian and Eurasian plates. Neither the geodynamic processes nor the kinematic quantities involved in the deformations taking place are well understood and they are subject to several alternative interpretations. Different solutions presented in the literature are discussed as an introduction to the WEGENER-MEDLAS Project, by means of which geodetic data will be introduced in an attempt to help resolve the current pattern of kinematic changes. The manner of field observation and data reduction are discussed along with the practical experience obtained to date and a summary of the first years's field experience and the estimated accuracies of baseline results are presented.Mitteilung aus dem Institut für Angewandte Geodäsie, 6000 Frankfurt 70, FR Germany     

Comparison of gravity anomaly between mature and immature intra-oceanic subduction zones in the western Pacific

The western Pacific hosts major subduction systems such as Izu–Bonin–Mariana and Tonga–Kermadec, but also less conspicuous systems such as Yap, Mussau and Hjort trenches which constitute the young, incomplete, or ultraslow-member in the evolutionary spectrum of subduction zones. We used satellite-derived gravity data to compare well-developed and immature subduction systems. It is shown that at spatial resolution > 10–20 km or so, the satellite data have accuracy comparable to ship-board gravity measurements over intra-oceanic subduction zones. In the isostatic residual gravity anomaly map, the width of non-isostatically-compensated region of the mature subduction zones is much wider than that of immature ones. More importantly, when the gravitational attraction due to seafloor is removed, a large difference exists between the mature and immature subduction zones in the overriding plate side. Mature subduction zones exhibit broad low gravity anomalies of ~ 200–250 mGal centered at distances of 150–200 km from the trench which are not found over immature subduction zones. The cause of the broad low gravity anomalies over mature subduction zones is debatable due to lack of information on the deep crust and upper mantle structure and property. We discuss the following four causes: (1) serpentinization of the upper mantle beneath the forearc; (2) presence of partial melt in the mantle wedge caused by release of volatiles from the slab, frictional heating and distributed by mantle circulation; (3) difference in density structure between the overriding and subducting plates caused by difference in age and thermal structures with and without compositional stratification between crust and mantle; and (4) anomalous thickness of the arc not explained by isostasy. Our analysis suggests that serpentinization cannot explain the observed gravity anomaly which appears ~ 150–200 km from the trench. Although the extent and distribution of partial melt within the mantle wedge remain in question, to our best estimate, partial melting contributes little (< 50 mGal) to the total negative gravity anomaly. The difference in density structure reflecting temperature difference can only explain less than half of the low gravity anomaly. The sinking of lighter crustal material produces a large negative anomaly in the forearc but its location does not match the observed gravity anomaly. It appears that one cannot explain the total difference in gravity anomaly without invoking anomalous thickness of the arc. Although we could not identify the sole or combination of factors that give rise to the low gravity anomaly in mature subduction zones, the comparison of gravity anomalies between mature and immature subduction zones is likely to provide an important constraint for understanding the evolution and structure of subduction zones as more complementary evidences become available.     

南海东部马尼拉俯冲带的地壳结构和俯冲过程

全球汇聚板块边缘是产生8级以上大地震和破坏性海啸的地方,一直以来是全球科学家关注的焦点和热点区域。马尼拉俯冲带位于南海东部,也是许多地震、海啸和活火山活跃的区域。本文依据以往穿过马尼拉俯冲带的多条多道反射地震测线和海底地震仪剖面数据,分析了马尼拉俯冲带海沟沉积物充填厚度变化、增生楔宽度变化、海底变形特征以及地壳速度结构变化,提出马尼拉俯冲带具有明显的分段特征,分为北吕宋区段、海山链区段和南部西吕宋区段。不同区段的俯冲过程明显不同,提出俯冲增生和俯冲剥蚀(构造剥蚀)两种机制分别控制了该俯冲带的南、北区段。北段主要受到俯冲增生机制的控制,在海沟和弧前盆地之间形成巨大的增生楔构造,在南海北部大陆边缘10~15km厚的减薄陆壳不断俯冲作用下,引起许多与俯冲有关的地震活动和构造变形。南段海山链区段海底地形复杂和粗糙,在俯冲增生、剥蚀或构造剥蚀的联合控制下,5~6km厚大洋板块不断俯冲形成较小的增生楔结构,部分沉积物可能随着板块的俯冲被拖曳到板块边界的深部。     

Origin of the Eastern Mediterranean basin: a reevaluation

The origin of the Eastern Mediterranean basin (EMB) by rifting along its passive margins is reevaluated. Evidence from these margins shows that this basin formed before the Middle Jurassic; where the older history is known, formation by Triassic or even Permian rifting is indicated. Off Sicily, a deep Permian basin is recorded. In Mesozoic times, Adria was located next to the EMB and moved laterally along their common boundary, but there is no clear record of rifting or significant convergence. Farther east, the Tauride block, a fragment of Africa–Arabia, separated from this continent in the Triassic. After that the Tauride block and Adria were separate units that drifted independently. The EMB originated before Pangaea disintegrated. Two scenarios are thus possible. If the configuration of Pangaea remained the same throughout its life span until the opening of the central Atlantic Ocean (configuration A), then much of the EMB is best explained as a result of separation of Adria from Africa in the Permian, but this basin was modified by later rifting. The Levant margin formed when the Tauride block was detached, but space limitations require this block to have also extended farther east. Alternatively, the original configuration (A2) of Pangaea may have changed by 500 km of left-lateral slip along the Africa–North America boundary. This implies that Adria was not located next to Africa, and most of the EMB formed by separation of the Tauride block from Africa. Adria was placed next to the EMB during the transition from the Pangaea A2 to the Pangaea A configuration in the Triassic. Both scenarios raise some problems, but these are more severe for the first one. Better constraints on the history of Pangaea are thus required to decipher the formation of the Eastern Mediterranean basin.     

Paleomagnetic reconstruction of the Cenozoic evolution of the Eastern Mediterranean

A total of 113 paleomagnetic sites were sampled along an Anatolian S–N transect from the Arabian platform, the Hatay region, the Eastern Taurides, the Kirsehir block, the Sivas basin and the Eastern Pontides. Reliable characteristic remanent paleomagnetic directions were retrieved from 37 of these sites, spanning in time from Paleocene to Miocene. In a general way, declinations are westerly deviated and inclinations are shallower than the geocentered dipole value at the present latitudes. When combined with previously published results, these data indicate that a large-scale counterclockwise rotation of Anatolia of some 25° has occurred since the Miocene. Assuming that the pole of rotation of Anatolia with respect to Europe has remained constant in time at the location given by MacClusky et al. [J. Geophys. Res. 105 (2000) 5695] on the basis of the geodetic data, this rotation implies that a large westward displacement (500 km at the average latitude of 40°) has taken place. Assuming that the rotation was initiated by the Arabia/Europe collision about 12 Ma ago, this corresponds to an average displacement of about 40 mm/year.Together with previous results from the western part of the Aegean arc, these results indicate that the main trends of the Cenozoic evolution of the Eastern Mediterranean appear to consist of two post-early Miocene rotations of opposite senses: a clockwise rotation of the western part of the Aegean [Tectonophysics 146 (1988) 183] around a pole situated in northern Albania, and a counterclockwise rotation around the pole given by McClusky et al. [J. Geophys. Res. 105 (2000) 5695]. Comparison with GPS data suggest that both rotations are still active today.     

Modeling the Contemporary Stress Field and Deformation Pattern of Eastern Mediterranean

The contemporary stress field in the earth's crust is important and provides insights into mechanisms that drive plate motions.In this study,elastic plane stress finite element modeling incorporating realistic rock parameters was used to calculate the stress field,displacement field,and deformation of the plate interactions in the eastern Mediterranean.Modeled stress data for the African-Arabian-Anatolian plate interactions with fixed European platform correlate well with observed contemporary stress indica...     

Sedimentological response to late Mesozoic subduction in the Penninic windows of the Eastern Alps

Late Mesozoic subduction of Penninic oceanic lithosphere finds its response in the sedimentary record. The corresponding sediments are deposited in a deep-sea trench environment and are developed as distal, partly proximal flysches, containing breccias and olistolites, which are up to kilometer-sized (wildflysch). In the Tauern window this facies is represented by the Nordrahmen zone, which is the equivalent to the Matrei zone. It is proposed to apply the term “Matrei zone” to the entire zone. It forms the high parts of the Bündner Schiefer and Tauernflysch formation. The olistolites derive from the unstable Austroalpine continental margin (Lower Austroalpine). In the Unterengadin window the wildflysch faciès is found in North, Middle and South Penninic position. In that there are kilometer-sized blocks of clearly Lower Austroalpine provenance in a North Penninic position, the Middle Penninic Tasna zone must already have been subducted at the time of emplacement of these olistolites. The Tasna zone itself contains a number of olistolites and disintegrates towards the northeast into a wildflysch zone. Its nappe character is discussed. After earlier fossil findings it is likely that the lower flysch zones of the Unterengadin window contain younger members than the higher ones. Thus, a mechanism of offscraping of the trench sediments and piling up in an accreting wedge above a subduction zone is proposed.     

New gravity maps of the Eastern Alps and significance for the crustal structures

The deep seismic profile Transalp crosses, from north to south, Germany, Austria and Italy. The gravity measurements for each country were made by national agencies with different reference systems and data reduction methods. Within the frame of the Transalp-project a comprehensive database of the Eastern Alps was compiled covering an area of 3.5° by 4° in longitude and latitude (275 by 445 km), respectively. To increase the data coverage in the south Alpine area two gravity surveys were carried out, resulting in 469 areally distributed new stations, of which 215 have been measured with the intent to improve the geoid in the area of the planned Brenner Basistunnel (BBT). The resulting gravity database is the best in terms of resolution and data quality presently available for the Eastern Alps. Here the free air, Bouguer and isostatic gravity fields are critically discussed. The spatial density of existing gravity stations in the three countries is discussed. On the Italian side of the Alps the spatial density is rather sparse compared to the Austrian side. The Bouguer-gravity field varies between − 190 * 10^− 5 m/s² and + 25 * 10^− 5 m/s², with the minimum located along the Alpine high topographic chain, but with a small offset (a few tens of km) to the greatest topographic elevation, showing that the Airy-type local isostatic equilibrium does not fully apply here. The maximum of the Bouguer anomaly has an elongated shape of 100 by 50 km located between the towns of Verona and Vicenza and covers the Venetian Tertiary Volcanic Province (VTVP), a feature not directly related to the plate collision in the Eastern Alps. The gravity high is only partly explainable by high-density magmatic rocks and requires also a deeper source, like a shallowing of the Moho. The isostatic residual anomalies (Airy model) are in the range ± 50 * 10^− 5 m/s², with the greatest positive anomaly corresponding to the location of the VTVP, indicating here under-compensation of masses. At last a discussion of a 2D density model based on reflection seismic data and receiver functions is made.     

俯冲带变质过程中的含碳流体

俯冲带含碳岩石通过俯冲过程的变质反应生成了含碳水流体、富硅酸盐的超临界流体和含碳熔体。不同类型流体的形成与岩石成分和岩石经历的温压条件相关。岩石中碳酸盐矿物脱碳反应的温压条件取决于岩石起初的流体成分：有水存在时,反应发生在低温条件下。在高压条件下,碳酸盐矿物在水或含盐水流体的溶解是生成含碳流体重要的机制,其导致的碳迁移作用可能超过脱碳变质反应的作用。高温条件下,含碳岩石的部分熔融可以生成含碳的熔体,这在热俯冲环境和俯冲带岩石底辟到上覆地幔的情况下是碳迁移重要载体。富硅酸盐的超临界流体可能是在第二临界端点上形成的超临界流体,目前在超高压岩石中观察到的非花岗质成分的多相固体包裹体被认为是这种流体结晶的产物,然而对其理解尚存在很多问题,需要进一步的实验研究。地表含碳岩石在俯冲带被带到深部,俯冲带地温特征的不同导致了不同类型含碳流体的形成,这些流体运移至上覆地幔引起岩石部分熔融产生含碳的岛弧岩浆,岩浆喷出到地表释放了其中的碳,这构成了俯冲带-岛弧系统的碳循环。

     

Granite subduction: Arc subduction, tectonic erosion and sediment subduction

Continental growth has been episodic, reflecting the episodic nature of mantle dynamics as well as surface dynamics of the Earth, the net result of which is exhibited by the present mantle with two huge reservoirs of TTG rocks, one on the surface continents and the other on the D″ layer on the Core-Mantle Boundary (CMB). During the early half of the Earth history, the felsic continental crust on the surface which formed in an intra-oceanic environment has mostly been subducted into the deep mantle, except in the rare case of parallel arc collision. The growth history of continental crust shows that with its simultaneous formation, a considerable amount must have also been subducted. Such ongoing subduction processes can be seen in the western Pacific region, through tectonic erosion, arc subduction, and sediment-trapped subduction.     

喜马拉雅东构造结岩石圈板片深俯冲的地球物理证据

2009～2010年在南迦巴瓦地区进行了宽频带地震和大地电磁探测,分别处理获得东构造结及其邻区的地下300km以上的P波速度图像和两条大地电磁电阻率剖面。通过资料的对比和综合解释,发现电阻率分布与地震波速有较好的对应关系。研究结果表明:南迦巴瓦变质体的上地壳部分呈现明显高速高阻特征,为两侧的雅鲁藏布江缝合带所夹持;中下地壳具有不均匀性,且普遍呈低速低阻特征;印度板块在藏东南向欧亚板块的俯冲前缘越过嘉黎断裂,抵达班公湖-怒江缝合带;在拉萨地体的高速俯冲板片以下100km至200km深度范围内存在大规模的低速异常带,其上盘中下地壳也广泛发育低速高导体,指示青藏高原东南缘可能存在韧性易流动的物质向东、东南逃逸的通道,为印度板块在南迦巴瓦的深俯冲动力学模式提供了地球物理证据。     

The structure, isostasy and gravity field of the Levant continental margin and the southeast Mediterranean area

A 3-D layered structure of the Levant and the southeastern Mediterranean lithospheric plates was constructed using interpretations of seismic measurements and borehole data. Structural maps of three principal interfaces, elevation, top basement and the Moho, were constructed for the area studied. This area includes the African, Sinai and Arabian plates, the Herodotus and the Levant marine basins and the Nile sedimentary cone. In addition, an isopach map of the Pliocene sediments, as well as the contemporaneous amount of denuded rock units, was prepared to enable setting up the structural map of the base Pliocene sediment. Variable density distributions are suggested for the sedimentary succession in accord with its composition and compaction. The spatial density distribution in the crystalline crust was calculated by weighting the thicknesses of the lower mafic and the upper felsic crustal layers, with densities of 2.9 g/cm³ and 2.77 g/cm³, respectively. Results of the local (Airy) isostatic modeling with compensation on the Moho interface show significant deviations from the local isostasy and require variable density distribution in the upper mantle. Moving the compensation level to the base of the lithosphere ( 100 km depth) and adopting density variations in the mantle lithosphere yielded isostatic compensation (± 200 m) over most of the area studied. The spatial pattern obtained of a density distribution with a range of ± 0.05 g/cm³ is supported by a regional heat flux. Simulations of the flexure (Vening Meinesz) isostasy related to the Pliocene to Recent sedimentary loading and unloading revealed concentric oscillatory negative and positive anomalies mostly related to the Nile sedimentary cone. Such anomalies may explain the rapid subsidence in the Levant Basin and the arching in central Israel, northern Sinai and Egypt during Pliocene–Recent times. Comparison between the observed (Bouguer) gravity and the calculated gravity for the constructed 3-D lithospheric structure, which has variable density distributions, provided a good match and an independent constraint for the large-scale structure suggested and confirmed an oceanic nature for the Levant Basin lithosphere.