The Aegean region: deep structures and seismological properties

3-D P -wave velocity anomaly patterns, the geometry of the Hellenic Wadati-Benioff zone and of the seismically active fracture zones in the overlying continental wedge, and the depth distribution of seismogenic properties (seismic activity, energy and b value) for the Aegean region are examined in this study. The western and eastern parts of the area studied differ significantly in terms of the depth distribution of the considered seismological parameters and the velocity structures. The results indicate different physical conditions in the western and eastern parts of the region in question. Data for the surface heat flow and the evolution of the volcanism in the Aegean region since the early Eocene are employed to interpret the results of the present study. Possible geodynamic processes at the plate boundaries between Africa and Eurasia are discussed.