Depth and modes of Pliocene–Pleistocene crustal extension of the Apennines (Italy)

Since early Pliocene times the Apenninic chain has been dissected by normal faults propagating towards the Adriatic foreland. In the Tyrrhenian Sea extension involved deep crustal sections, whereas in the 'Central Apennines Downfaulted Area' it affected the shallow crust. The Tyrrhenian back-arc domain is connected to the overall flexural retreat of the Adriatic–Apulia plate in front of the Apenninic collisional wedge. In the outer Apenninic belt thin-skinned delamination and gravitational collapse occurred in the hanging wall of a thickened wedge, overthrusting the uplifted, buoyant crust of the Apulia foreland. Differential sinking velocity of the foreland plate results from the inherited competence contrast between the rigid Gargano–Apulia carbonate platform to the south, and the low-competence lithology of the pelagic sequence of the Adriatic basin to the north. During late Messinian–early Pliocene times this palaeogeographical boundary acted as a lithospheric tear, separating segments of the Apulia plate subjected to different subduction modes.     

Rheology and seismotectonic regime in the northern central Mediterranean

The connection between thermal field and mechanical properties is analysed in the northern central Mediterranean region, extending from the Ligurian-Provençal basin to the Adriatic foredeep. As the thermal regime is still far from equilibrium in most of the tectonic units, transient thermal models are used. The temperature-depth distribution is estimated in four areas affected by the volcanic activity, which from the Neogene to the Present shifted from Corsica to the Apenninic arc. In the Adriatic foredeep, the thermal effects of the recent thrust-faulting phase in the buried sectors of the northern Apennines are taken into account.

The general context consists of convergence involving westward subduction of the Adriatic plate. This process caused anti-clockwise rotation of Corsica and Sardinia, which led to formation of the Ligurian marginal basin, and also resulted in crustal doubling and overthrusting in the northern Apennines and rifting in the northern Tyrrhenian.

Seismic activity is focused in the internal and external zones of the Apenninic arc, where low surface heat flux is observed, and in the western margin of the Ligurian-Provençal basin. This is a consequence not only of lateral variations in the thermal field but also of the different tectonic settings. Regional extensional patterns in the shallow crust, with minimum principal stress axes trending N60°E and E-W, are observed in the northern and in the southern sectors of the Apenninic arc, respectively. A compressional regime at depths greater than 30 km is observed below the northern sector of the arc, while to the south a change in the structure of the lithosphere is marked by a decrease in deeper seismic activity. Thrust faults and strike-slip faults with a thrust component support a compressional regime along the western margin of the Ligurian basin with maximum principal stress axis oriented N120°E.

Two lithospheric cross-sections across the study region are constructed, based on structural, thermal, gravity, rheological and seismic data. There is clear evidence of the presence of the subducting slab of the Adriatic plate, corresponding to a thickening of the uppermost brittle layer. The crustal seismicity cut-off corresponds to temperatures of 320–390°C. A brittle layer of considerable thickness is present in the uppermost mantle beneath Variscan Corsica and the Adriatic foredeep, with estimated seismic cut-off temperature of about 550 ± 50°C.     

Lateral flow of African mantle below the nearby Tyrrhenian plate: geochemical evidence

The Quaternary magmatism of the Southern Tyrrhenian basin represents a rare example of an active volcanic arc system where ocean island basalt (OIB) and island arc basalt (IAB) magmas coexist. Although there is general agreement on the importance of the Ionian oceanic lithosphere subduction in the genesis of the IAB magmatism, the tectono‐magmatic processes producing the coexisting OIB magmas are still poorly understood. Here we show that the geochemistry of the Quaternary Southern Tyrrhenian OIB‐type magmatism (i.e. Ustica island and Prometeo, a previously unknown submarine lava field) is very similar to that of OIB‐type volcanoes situated on the nearby African plate (i.e. Etna and Hyblean Plateau). Among the possible geodynamic scenarios proposed to explain the coexistence of OIB and IAB magmas in arc settings, we consider the development of a tear at the edge of the Ionian plate as the more likely mechanism to favour the flow of African asthenospheric mantle below the Tyrrhenian plate.     

Recurrence of great earthquakes at subduction zones

Statistics of the recurrence times of great earthquakes at the Pacific subduction margins are made. The mean return period of great earthquakes is different from zone to zone, ranging from 27 to 117 years. The standard deviation of the return period proves to be very small, several years say, in some cases. The probabilities of a great earthquake recurring in each zone are estimated on the basis of Weibull distribution analysis.The mean return periods thus estimated are combined with the relative plate velocities at respective zones as obtained in the plate tectonics in order to estimate the ultimate displacement to rupture at the interface of the continental plate and the downgoing oceanic plate. It is presumed that great earthquakes at subduction zones occur as a result of a rebound of the continental plate at the time of rupture. The ultimate displacement thus estimated ranges from 2 to 8 m, and seems somewhat larger than that estimated on the basis of seismic observations, although the value of ultimate displacement seems to harmonize roughly with estimates based on geodetic observations on land. However, the ultimate displacement at the Aleutian—Alaska zone as estimated here seems much smaller than that estimated from actual observations.The ultimate strains, which are deduced from the displacements obtained on the assumption that the logarithmic extent of the deformed area is proportional to earthquake magnitude, are then calculated, and compared with those estimated for large inland earthquakes as revealed by repetition of geodetic surveys. The mean ultimate strain is estimated as 4.3 · 10⁻⁵ for subduction-zone earthquakes while that for inland earthquakes has been estimated as 4.7 · 10⁻⁵. As the agreement between both the ultimate strains is fairly good, it is tentatively concluded that the strength of the plate interface under the sea bottom is more or less the same as that in the crust on land.     

Angular velocity of Arabian plate from multi-year analysis of GNSS data

We compute the secular tectonic motion of the Arabian plate, based on two different sets of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) observations. The first set is formed by continuous GNSS (cGNSS) observations from 10 stations that are being operated since 2000 and have a data time span of at least 3.5 years. The cGNSS is supplemented with a second set of GNSS observations from 11 episodic stations (eGNSS) acquired between 2003 and 2009 (having at least six reoccupations). In order to evaluate the robustness of the solutions, we have estimated three different solutions using different parameterizations concerning the error models as follows: (a) estimating the velocities based only on the cGNSS sites; (b) combining the cGNSS and eGNSS, where the errors for the eGNSS solutions were rescaled to be consistent with those estimated for the cGNSS solutions; and (c) giving the same weight to all cGNSS and eGNSS solutions. Our conclusions show that case (b) is the preferred solution when the uncertainties of the eGNSS solutions are multiplied by a scale factor (4.1× in this particular case), since the inclusion of the eGNSS solutions allows to have a larger number of points with a better spatial distribution. Finally, we compare our angular velocity model with other models, in particular the most recent global models: GEODVEL (geodetic) and MORVEL (geophysical). We find that GEODVEL provides inaccurate predictions for the Arabian tectonic plate, whereas the MORVEL model shows a slightly better agreement with our solution. Our proposed model shows a significant improvement to model the present-day kinematics of Arabian plate. Thus, it is suggested to be used instead of the global models. As corollary, we also advocate that global models for present-day tectonic motions should be carefully verified for each modeled plate, so that dedicated regional models can provide better results.     

The plate coupling in the Tokai District,the Central Japan,inferred from the different data using triangular dislocation elements

We estimate interseismic coupling on the subducting plate interface in the Tokai area, central Japan, by inverting two geodetic data sets. The data record surface motion between March 1996 to May 2000; one represents vertical motion deduced from the leveling observations and the other is the horizontal velocity field deduced from GPS observations. In the inversion, we employed the analytical solutions of surface displacement due to a triangular dislocation element embedded in a homogeneous elastic half space in order to represent the curved plate interface. The vertical data show that the most strongly coupled portion of the subduction interface is concentrated beneath Omaezaki Cape, while the horizontal data show strongest coupling in the shallower region of the subducting plate interface. The estimated maximum value of coupling from the horizontal data is 40 mm/year, while that from vertical data is 25 mm/year.     

Coexisting tectonic settings: the example of the southern Tyrrhenian Sea

We performed geodetic strain rate analyses in southern Italy, using new GPS velocities. Two-dimensional strain and rotation rate fields were estimated and results show that most of the shortening is distributed in the northern Sicily offshore. Extension becomes more evident and comparable with shortening on the eastern side of the same margin, and greater in the eastern Sicily offshore. Principal shortening and extension rate axes are consistent with long-term geological features: seismic reflection profiles show both active compressive and extensional faults affecting Pleistocene strata. We show evidence for contemporaneous extension and transtension in the Cefalù Basin. Combining geodetic data and geological features point to the coexistence of independent geodynamic processes, i.e., the active E–W backarc spreading in the hangingwall of the Apennines subduction zone and shortening along the southern margin of the Tyrrhenian backarc basin operated by the NNW-motion of Africa relative to Eurasia.     

The Tyrrhenian back－arc basin and subduction of the Ionian lithosphere

A deep, narrow, and distorted Benioff zone, plunging from the Ionian Sea towards the southern Tyrrhenian basin, is the remnant of a long and eastward migrating subduction of eastern Mediterranean lithosphere. From Oligocene to Recent, subduction generated the Western Mediterranean and the Tyrrhenian back-arc basins, as well as an accretionary wedge constituting the SouthernAoenninic Arc.In the Tyrrhenian Sea, stretching started in late Miocene and eventually produced two small oceanic areas: the Vavilov Plain during Pliocene (in the centralsector) and the Marsili Plain during Quaternary (in the southeastern sector). They are separated by a thicker crustal sector, called the Issel Bridge. Back-arc exten-sion was rapid and discontinuous, and affected a land locked area where continental elements of various sizesoccurred. Discontinuities in extension were mirrored bychanges in nature of the lithosphere scraped off to form the Southern Apenninic Arc. Part of the tectonic units of the southern Apennines, accreted into the wedge from late Miocene to Pliocene, had originally been laid down on thinned conti-nental lithosphere, which should constitute the deep portion of the present slab. After Plio-cene, only Ionian oceanic lithosphere wassubducted, because the large buoyancy of thewide and not thinned continental lithosphere of Apulia and Africa (Sicily) preserved the seelements from roll back of subduction. After Pliocene, the passively retreating oceanic slabhad to adjust and distort according to the geometry of these continental elements.The late onset of arc volcanism in respect to the duration of extension in the Tyrrhenian-Ionian system may find an expla-nation considering an initial stage of subduc-tion of thinned continental lithosphere. The strong Pleistocene vertical movements that occurred in the whole southeastern system(subsidence in the back-arc basin and upliftin the orogenic arc) may instead be related to the distortion of the oceanic slab.     

The influence of different rheological parameters on the surface deformation and stress field of the Aegean–Anatolian region

The Aegean–Anatolian region is characterised by an inhomogeneous deformation pattern with high strain rates and a high seismicity both at the boundaries and in the plate interior. This pattern is controlled by the geometry and rheology of the structural units involved and their tectonic setting. A numerical analysis with a finite-element model of the region is used to quantify the influence of different rheological parameters. Viscoelastic material behaviour is implemented for the mantle lithosphere, whereas the crust is modelled with an elastic–plastic rheology. The variation of the inelastic material properties (viscosity and plastic strength) quantifies the influence of these material parameters on the deformation, stress, and strain patterns. Comparison of the modelled results with geodetic and geophysical observations reveals that the viscosity of the mantle lithosphere is the key to explaining the inhomogeneous deformation pattern. The best-fit model yields a viscosity of 10²⁰ Pa s beneath Anatolia, whereas adjacent regions have viscosities between 10²¹ and 10²³ Pa s. The model also explains the intra-plate seismicity and the stress field as well as its partitioning into regions with strike-slip and normal faulting. The final model is in good agreement with seismological, geodetic, and geological observations. Local deviations can be tracked down to small-scale structures, which are not included in the model.     

The Deep Seismicity of the Tyrrhenian Sea*

The deep seismicity of the Tyrrhenian Sea is analysed using data from a new instrumental catalogue of the seismicity of the Italian area. We use algorithms for the determination of absolute and relative hypocentral locations and for the evaluation of the geometry and coherence of the state of stress within the subducting slab. The structure of the Benioff zone, although simpler than previously indicated, reveals anomalous traits both in the seismicity distribution and in the stress geometry, confirming that standard subduction models cannot be applied in the Tyrrhenian region. The velocity anomaly and the location of few isolated events indicate that the subducted slabs extend to the north along the Apenninic chain approximately to the latitude of the Irpinia region, in Central Italy (? 42°N).     

Kinematics of Convergence and Deformation in Luzon Island and Adjacent Sea Areas:2-D Finite-Element Simulation

The Luzon Island is a volcanic arc sandwiched by the eastward subducting South China Sea and the northwestward subducting Philippine Sea plate.Through experiments of plane-stress,elastic,and 2-dimensional finite-element modeling,we evaluated the relationship between plate kinematics and present-day deformation of Luzon Island and adjacent sea areas.The concept of coupling rate was applied to define the boundary velocities along the subduction zones.The distribution of velocity fields calculated in our models was compared with the velocity field revealed by recent geodetic (GPS) observations.The best model was obtained that accounts for the observed velocity field within the limits of acceptable mechanical parameters and reasonable boundary conditions.Sensitivity of the selection of parameters and boundary conditions were evaluated.The model is sensitive to the direction of convergence between the South China Sea and the Philippine Sea plates,and to different coupling rates in the Manila trench,Philippine trench and eastern Luzon trough.We suggest that a change of±15° of the di rection of motion of the Philippine Sea plate can induce important changes in the distribution of the computed displacement trajectories,and the movement of the Philippine Sea plate toward azimuth330° best explains the velocity pattern observed in Luzon Island.In addition,through sensitivity analysis we conclude that the coupling rate in the Manila trench is much smaller compared with the rates in the eastern Luzon trough and the Philippine trench.This indicates that a significant part of momentum of the Philippine Sea plate motion has been absorbed by the Manila trench;whereas,a part of the momentum has been transmitted into Luzon Island through the eastern Luzon trough and the Philippine trench.     

Neogene patterns of relative plate motion for Africa-Europe: some implications for recent central Mediterranean tectonics

A detailed relative motion picture for the Neogene Africa-Europe plate kinematics is presented. The kinematic reconstruction was carried out using the finite difference solution between the rotation parameters determined for Anomalies 7 to 2 in the Africa-North America-Europe plate motion circuit. The analysis shows a motion of Africa with respect to Europe which is NNE directed during Late Oligocene to Burdigalian times, becoming NNW trending from the Langhian to the early Tortonian; from upper Tortonian times onward, the motion changes to a clear north-west directed convergence. Major Late Neogene tectonic features of the central Mediterranean region can, to a large extent, be explained within the context of the reconstructed major plate motions. Late Tortonian to Recent Africa-Europe slip vectors are compatible with a variety of geological phenomenoa such as north-west directed subduction beneath Calabria, south-east translation of Calabria and extension in the Tyrrhenian Sea, north-west trending slip vectors from thrust earthquakes between Gibraltar and Sicily, and dextral strike-slip across the North African margin.     

Strain and stress fields along the Gibraltar Orogenic Arc: Constraints on active geodynamics

The Gibraltar Orogenic Arc, in the Western Mediterranean, represents a complex region of active deformation related to the oblique Nubia–Eurasia convergence process. To increase the knowledge on the ongoing active processes in this region, we have used the most up-to-date and comprehensive geodetic crustal motion and stress fields. To this end, we analyzed both continuous and campaign-mode GPS data collected between 1999.00 and 2011.00 across the area and compiled a multidisciplinary dataset of well-constrained stress indicators to be compared with the geodetic results. The main results highlight the oblique nature of the Nubia–Eurasia convergence, which provides the largest component of the observed stress-pattern and is responsible for a significant strain-rate field along the Gibraltar Orogenic Arc. We discuss our findings with respect to available geological, seismological and geophysical data in order to verify their coherency compared to more relevant geodynamical models proposed in literature. According to previous studies, we confirmed how much of the secondary stress-pattern can be related to the gravitational potential energy field, which may also be responsible for some 2D stress–strain-rate angular discrepancies observed in large areas of the Betics. In addition, taking into account the sub-orthogonal azimuthal relationship between the S_Hmax and ε_hmin directions and the Fast Polarization Directions, we conjectured a deep dynamic process controlling both the crustal stress field and the surface deformation on large areas of the orogenic arc. Finally, although the models proposed to explain the geodynamic pattern of the Gibraltar Orogenic Arc are supported by a discrete number of geological and geophysical observations, it is only the back-arc extension and westward rollback model that is able to adequately account for the vast majority of the observations. Based on our findings and other evidences, we retain that this process could still be active beneath the Gibraltar Orogenic Arc.     

Kinematics and deformation of central and southwestern Greece from historical triangulation data and implications for the active tectonics of the Aegean

Changes in the coordinates of 38 stations, 32 of which were common to three historical triangulation surveys (1889–1905, 1927–1930 and 1950–1970) in central Greece were computed based on conventional adjustment techniques and the assumption of a nearly fixed baseline length. Some of the calculated coordinate changes are significant against the a posteriori network adjustment errors and are likely to indicate tectonic motions consistent with those deduced from geological and geophysical data and other geodetic studies (comparison of the first survey network with GPS data).

More explicitly, the historical geodetic data confirm the rotational character of the deformation in the area, but they show that the strain pattern is likely to have changed after 1930: between 1890 and 1930 strain was changing smoothly, as if no strain discontinuities existed, while the Peloponnesus was under contraction from the northeast, probably reflecting accommodation of strain from the arc. Significant left-lateral shear in the gulf of Corinth and N-S extension in the whole of the study area were observed only after 1930. Estimates of strain are consistent with those deduced from comparison of historical triangulation and GPS data, corrected for the scale error that exists in the terrestrial geodetic data in Greece, and estimates of strain from seismological data. The change in the kinematic pattern after 1930 seems to be confirmed by changes in the shear strain computed directly from changes in observed angles between stations and from changes in the seismicity rates; such changes, although not unusual in the geological record, are not easy to explain, but may reflect elastic rebound effects in area with an extremely complicated tectonic fabric or hysteresis in the accommodation of E-W compression from the arc by N-S stretching.     

关于发展洋板块地质学的思考

为揭示造山带物质组成和结构构造,发展洋板块地质学,阐明大陆形成演化过程和动力来源,应用板块构造理论和地质学方法,对造山带俯冲增生杂岩带、蛇绿岩带等大洋岩石圈板块地质建造、结构构造进行系统研究,寻找俯冲带岛弧前弧火成岩组合;研究洋板块初始俯冲过程中,从前弧玄武岩到玻安岩、高镁安山岩,再到弧拉斑玄武岩和钙碱性熔岩的岩浆作用分阶段递进演变历史,以揭示洋盆向大陆转化的原始弧性质和前弧火成岩组合及洋陆转换过程,为建立和发展洋板块地质学奠定科学基础.     

Recent and active tectonics of the external zone of the Northern Apennines (Italy)

We present a comprehensive study of the recent and active tectonics of the external part of the Northern Apennines (Italy) by using morphotectonic, geological–structural, and stratigraphic analysis, compared with the current seismicity of the region. This analysis suggests that the external part of the Northern Apennines is characterised by presence of three major systems of Quaternary compressive structures corresponding to (1) the Apenninic watershed, (2) the Apennines–Po Plain margin (pede-Apenninic thrust front), and (3) the Emilia, Ferrara, and Adriatic Fold systems buried below the Po Plain. Geological data and interpreted seismic sections indicate a roughly N–S Quaternary deformation direction, with rates <2.5 mm/year. The shortening decreased since the Pliocene, when our data indicate compression in a NNW–SSE direction and rates up to 7 mm/year. The trend and kinematics of the structures affecting the Apennines–Po Plain margin and the Po Plain subsoil fit well the pattern of the current seismicity of the area, as well as recent GPS and geodetic levelling data, pointing to a current activity of these thrust systems controlled by an overall compressive stress field. Close to the Apenninic watershed, earthquake focal mechanisms indicate that shallow extension is associated to deep compression. The extensional events may be related to a secondary extensional stress field developing on the hangingwall of the thrust system affecting the Apenninic watershed; alternatively, this thrust system may have been recently deactivated and overprinted by active normal faulting. Deeper compressive events are related to the activity of both a major basement thrust that connects at surface with the pede-Apenninic thrust front and a major Moho structure.     

洋板块地质研究进展

中国存在多个时代、多种类型的造山带,发育了多种多样的俯冲增生杂岩带,经历了复杂多变的洋陆转换过程,如何揭示包括洋内演化和洋陆转换等的造山过程一直是一个难题。为此,中国区域地质志项目组提出了洋板块地质研究,试图通过对造山系俯冲增生杂岩带、蛇绿岩带等洋岩石圈地质建造、结构构造进行系统研究,再造洋岩石圈从洋中脊形成到海沟俯冲消亡、转换成陆的地质作用全过程。本文介绍了洋板块地质提出到现今主要的研究进展,包括四个方面。一是,初步建立了洋板块地质格架,洋板块地质的研究包括俯冲增生杂岩的物质组成、蛇绿岩类型及其形成的构造环境、洋板块沉积组合和洋板块地层、岛弧火成岩组合、洋陆转换的过程和机制、洋-陆转换过程与成矿作用等重要内容。二是,识别出北山牛圈子—马鬃山、嘉荫—依兰、陈蔡、东昆仑布青山—阿尼玛卿、鹰扬关、大洪山、甘孜—理塘、新余神山—新干神政桥等中国陆域62条主要的俯冲增生杂岩带/增生杂岩带。俯冲增生杂岩带是认识、理解造山系时空结构、组成和演化的关键。三是,在祁连地区识别出较为完整的洋内弧岩石组合。洋盆演化形成大陆过程中的洋内俯冲带是大陆的诞生地,洋内俯冲作用形成的洋内弧是洋盆演化形成大陆的初始弧。洋内弧火成岩组合序列的发现为研究洋陆转换过程提供了岩石学依据。祁连造山带是洋板块地质研究的经典地区之一。研究显示,当金山出露完整的洋内弧岩石组合,这些岩石记录了洋内弧从初始俯冲到发育成熟的全过程,为探讨祁连造山带原特提斯洋构造演化提供了新的依据。四是,制定了洋板块地质构造图编图方案,编图内容主要包括俯冲增生杂岩带、岩浆弧、高压-超高压带、俯冲期和碰撞期构造形变要素和构造演化等。编图单元分为三级:一级为俯冲增生杂岩带;二级为岩片;三级包括基质和岩块。编图过程中需要明确岩浆弧的性质和归属,明确图面上某一岩浆弧与哪个蛇绿混杂岩或大洋配套。图面上对于构造要素的表达重点是区分俯冲和碰撞阶段。通过构造变形的时态、相态、位态研究,识别俯冲期和碰撞期的构造变形形迹。这是洋板块地质初步的研究成果,以俯冲增生杂岩带的研究为基础,探讨特提斯洋等大洋的演化、中国东部古太平洋/太平洋转换与中新生代成矿关系等重大基础地质问题是洋板块地质研究下一步的工作方向。目前,洋板块地质的研究还处于试点阶段,洋板块地质与成矿的成因联系等重大地质问题尚需今后更深入地研究。     

A comparative study for the estimation of geodetic point velocity by artificial neural networks

Space geodesy era provides velocity information which results in the positioning of geodetic points by considering the time evolution. The geodetic point positions on the Earth’s surface change over time due to plate tectonics, and these changes have to be accounted for geodetic purposes. The velocity field of geodetic network is determined from GPS sessions. Velocities of the new structured geodetic points within the geodetic network are estimated from this velocity field by the interpolation methods. In this study, the utility of Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) widely applied in diverse fields of science is investigated in order to estimate the geodetic point velocities. Back Propagation Artificial Neural Network (BPANN) and Radial Basis Function Neural Network (RBFNN) are used to estimate the geodetic point velocities. In order to evaluate the performance of ANNs, the velocities are also interpolated by Kriging (KRIG) method. The results are compared in terms of the root mean square error (RMSE) over five different geodetic networks. It was concluded that the estimation of geodetic point velocity by BPANN is more effective and accurate than by KRIG when the points to be estimated are more than the points known.     

Crustal motion and deformation in Greece from a decade of GPS measurements, 1993–2003

The Hellenic plate boundary region, located in the collision zone between the Nubian/Arabian and Eurasian lithospheric plates, is one of the seismo-tectonically most active areas of Europe. During the last 15 years, GPS measurements have been used to determine the crustal motion in the area of Greece with the aim to better understand the geodynamical processes of this region. An extended reoccupation network covering whole Greece has been measured periodically in numerous GPS campaigns since the late eighties, and a continuous GPS network has been operated in the region of the Ionian Sea since 1995. In this paper, we present a new detailed high-quality solution of continuous and campaign-type measurements acquired between 1993 and 2003. During the GPS processing, a special effort was made to obtain consistent results with highest possible accuracies and reliabilities. Data of 54 mainly European IGS and EUREF sites were included in the GPS processing in order to obtain results which are internally consistent with the European kinematic field and order to allow for a regional interpretation. After an overview of the results of the IGS/EUREF sites, the results from more than 80 stations in Greece are presented in terms of velocities, time series, trajectories and strain rates. Previous geodetic, geological and seismological findings are generally confirmed and substantially refined. New important results include the observation of deformation zones to the north and to the south of the North Aegean Trough and in the West Hellenic arc region, arc-parallel extension of about 19 mm/yr along the Hellenic arc, and compression between the Ionian islands and the Greek mainland. Due to continuous long-term observations of 4–8 years, it was possible to extract height changes from the GPS time series. In Greece, we observe a differential subsidence of the order of 2 mm/yr between the northern and central Ionian islands across the Kefalonia fault zone. The differential subsidence of the central Ionian islands with respect to the northwestern Greek mainland amounts to 4 mm/yr.     

巽他弧北部掸邦高原地壳变形、长期块体运动和发震过程:来自大地测量研究结果的约束

本文通过约束大地测量研究来探索掸邦高原及其周围地区现今的地壳变形和长期块体运动,以期提供该地区地球动力学和相关地震危险状况的最新状态。掸邦高原在横向上由西侧的萨干(Sagaing)断裂和东侧的红河断裂这两条主要断裂包围。其中,青藏高原地壳的韧性流挤压被认为是该夹层变形单元变形的主要因素。大地测量清楚地表明,萨干断裂和红河断裂段分别具有约18 mm/a和约45 mm/a右旋运动走滑速率。此外,掸邦高原内部断层体系大地滑移累积表现为1213 mm/a的整体左旋运动速率。我们认为相对于刚性巽他古陆,研究区域的形变分布和长期块体运动主要受区域书架型断层作用控制,其原因是掸邦高原两侧的主断裂(萨干断裂和红河断裂)存在差异性断裂活动。