Crustal structure of the North Tyrrhenian Sea: first result of the multichannel seismic LISA cruise

Abstract

Abstract During a deep-penetration multichannel seismic cruise, the North Tyrrhenian basin was investigated. This basin has a shallow Moho along the Italian coast. Two kinds of dipping reflections were identified in the crust. The westward-dipping reflections are interpreted as Apennines or/and Alpine thrusts whereas the eastward-dipping reflections may be the seismic expression of extensional detachments. The deep part of the 10 km thick Corsica Basin is well imaged on the continental shelf. This basin was formed before or during the opening of the Balearic-Ligurian basin and is related to the collapse of the Alpine Corsica belt. We emphasize the active role of plutonic bodies that rise from a 3 km depth during the mid-Pliocene. The thinning of the North Tyrrhenian crust could be explained by a delamination of the Adriatic lithosphere that retreats towards the east.