Imaging a relic of complex tectonics: the lithosphere‐asthenosphere structure in the Eastern Mediterranean

Abstract

Terra Nova, 25, 102–109, 2013 Abstract The crust and upper mantle structure of the Eastern Mediterranean is investigated through the nonlinear inversion of Raleigh wave dispersion curves extracted from broadband records in the region along two profiles crossing the Hellenic and Cyprian arcs. Corresponding density models are constructed, consistent with the observed gravity anomalies. The modelled profiles exhibit a continental crust type overlain by a thick sedimentary cover and underlain by a thick lithospheric mantle. The lithosphere‐asthenosphere system exhibits features, which suggest the presence of upducted asthenosphere exhumed to the north of the Hellenic arc, where the slab extension is limited to depths of about 220 km.