Upper crustal P-wave velocity structure beneath two volcanic areas in northern Iran

Detailed information about the crustal structure is essential for better understanding the occurrence and mechanisms of earthquakes and volcanoes. Here we present a study of the upper crustal P-wave velocity structure of two seismically and volcanically active areas in northern Iran using the two-dimensional Pg travel time tomography method. The imaging results suggest low velocities in the upper crust beneath the Damavand and Sahand-Sabalan volcanic areas in the central and western parts of northern Iran, respectively. The upper crustal low velocities in these two areas roughly coincide with previously imaged low Pn velocity anomalies, suggesting that the Late Cenozoic volcanic activity was probably caused by the upwelling of hot materials from the mantle. The image feature of the Pg velocity structure beneath the Sahand-Sabalan volcanic area further indicates that the hot materials stored in the upper crust beneath Sahand may be larger in size than those stored beneath Sabalan. Comparison of the Pg velocity images with the earthquake distribution in north Iran suggests that earthquakes mainly occur at moderately low velocity or low to high velocity boundary areas instead of significantly low or high velocity regions. The anisotropy results show that the Pg wave fast direction is consistent with the GPS direction at high Pg velocity areas and the fast direction is inconsistent with the GPS direction but consistent with the strike direction of faults at low velocity areas. Our new upper crustal structural images provide the basic observation for better understanding of the regional seismicity and volcanism, and link the surface geological phenomena to deep crustal and mantle processes associated with the active tectonics in northern Iran.