Geometry of the Deep Calabrian Subduction (Central Mediterranean Sea) From Wide‐Angle Seismic Data and 3‐D Gravity Modeling
Abstract The Calabrian subduction zone is one of the narrowest arcs on Earth and a key area to understand the geodynamic evolution of the Mediterranean and other marginal seas. Here in the Ionian Sea, the African plate subducts beneath Eurasia. Imaging the boundary between the downgoing slab and the...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2020-03-01
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| Series: | Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GC008586 |
| _version_ | 1827771682770649088 |
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| author | David Dellong Frauke Klingelhoefer Anke Dannowski Heidrun Kopp Shane Murphy David Graindorge Lucia Margheriti Milena Moretti Giovanni Barreca Luciano Scarfì Alina Polonia Marc‐Andre Gutscher |
| author_facet | David Dellong Frauke Klingelhoefer Anke Dannowski Heidrun Kopp Shane Murphy David Graindorge Lucia Margheriti Milena Moretti Giovanni Barreca Luciano Scarfì Alina Polonia Marc‐Andre Gutscher |
| author_sort | David Dellong |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The Calabrian subduction zone is one of the narrowest arcs on Earth and a key area to understand the geodynamic evolution of the Mediterranean and other marginal seas. Here in the Ionian Sea, the African plate subducts beneath Eurasia. Imaging the boundary between the downgoing slab and the upper plate along the Calabrian subduction zone is important for assessing the potential of the subduction zone to generate megathrust earthquakes and was the main objective of this study. Here we present and analyze the results from a 380‐km‐long, wide‐angle seismic profile spanning the complete subduction zone, from the deep Ionian Basin and the accretionary wedge to NE Sicily, with additional constraints offered by 3‐D gravity modeling and the analysis of earthquake hypocenters. The velocity model for the wide‐angle seismic profile images thin oceanic crust throughout the basin. The Calabrian backstop extends underneath the accretionary wedge to about 100 km SE of the coast. The seismic model was extended in depth using earthquake hypocenters. The combined results indicate that the slab dip increases abruptly from 2–3° to 60–70° over a distance of ≤50 km underneath the Calabrian backstop. This abrupt steepening is likely related to the rollback geodynamic evolution of the narrow Calabrian slab, which shows great similarity to the shallow and deep geometry of the Gibraltar slab. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T12:58:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9377bb1ab2b14c7f8b88dbdd739ee62d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1525-2027 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T12:58:43Z |
| publishDate | 2020-03-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems |
| spelling | doaj.art-9377bb1ab2b14c7f8b88dbdd739ee62d2023-11-03T16:55:58ZengWileyGeochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems1525-20272020-03-01213n/an/a10.1029/2019GC008586Geometry of the Deep Calabrian Subduction (Central Mediterranean Sea) From Wide‐Angle Seismic Data and 3‐D Gravity ModelingDavid Dellong0Frauke Klingelhoefer1Anke Dannowski2Heidrun Kopp3Shane Murphy4David Graindorge5Lucia Margheriti6Milena Moretti7Giovanni Barreca8Luciano Scarfì9Alina Polonia10Marc‐Andre Gutscher11Géosciences Marines, Ifremer Centre de Brest Plouzané FranceGéosciences Marines, Ifremer Centre de Brest Plouzané FranceGEOMAR Kiel GermanyGEOMAR Kiel GermanyGéosciences Marines, Ifremer Centre de Brest Plouzané FranceUMR LGO University of Western Brittany Brest FranceCentro Nazionale Terremoti Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia Rome ItalyCentro Nazionale Terremoti Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia Rome ItalyDipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche ed Ambientali University of Catania Catania ItalyOsservatorio Etneo Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia Catania ItalyISMAR CNR Bologna ItalyUMR LGO University of Western Brittany Brest FranceAbstract The Calabrian subduction zone is one of the narrowest arcs on Earth and a key area to understand the geodynamic evolution of the Mediterranean and other marginal seas. Here in the Ionian Sea, the African plate subducts beneath Eurasia. Imaging the boundary between the downgoing slab and the upper plate along the Calabrian subduction zone is important for assessing the potential of the subduction zone to generate megathrust earthquakes and was the main objective of this study. Here we present and analyze the results from a 380‐km‐long, wide‐angle seismic profile spanning the complete subduction zone, from the deep Ionian Basin and the accretionary wedge to NE Sicily, with additional constraints offered by 3‐D gravity modeling and the analysis of earthquake hypocenters. The velocity model for the wide‐angle seismic profile images thin oceanic crust throughout the basin. The Calabrian backstop extends underneath the accretionary wedge to about 100 km SE of the coast. The seismic model was extended in depth using earthquake hypocenters. The combined results indicate that the slab dip increases abruptly from 2–3° to 60–70° over a distance of ≤50 km underneath the Calabrian backstop. This abrupt steepening is likely related to the rollback geodynamic evolution of the narrow Calabrian slab, which shows great similarity to the shallow and deep geometry of the Gibraltar slab.https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GC008586Ionian Basinwide‐angle seismicgravitycrustal structureseismicitytomography |
| spellingShingle | David Dellong Frauke Klingelhoefer Anke Dannowski Heidrun Kopp Shane Murphy David Graindorge Lucia Margheriti Milena Moretti Giovanni Barreca Luciano Scarfì Alina Polonia Marc‐Andre Gutscher Geometry of the Deep Calabrian Subduction (Central Mediterranean Sea) From Wide‐Angle Seismic Data and 3‐D Gravity Modeling Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems Ionian Basin wide‐angle seismic gravity crustal structure seismicity tomography |
| title | Geometry of the Deep Calabrian Subduction (Central Mediterranean Sea) From Wide‐Angle Seismic Data and 3‐D Gravity Modeling |
| title_full | Geometry of the Deep Calabrian Subduction (Central Mediterranean Sea) From Wide‐Angle Seismic Data and 3‐D Gravity Modeling |
| title_fullStr | Geometry of the Deep Calabrian Subduction (Central Mediterranean Sea) From Wide‐Angle Seismic Data and 3‐D Gravity Modeling |
| title_full_unstemmed | Geometry of the Deep Calabrian Subduction (Central Mediterranean Sea) From Wide‐Angle Seismic Data and 3‐D Gravity Modeling |
| title_short | Geometry of the Deep Calabrian Subduction (Central Mediterranean Sea) From Wide‐Angle Seismic Data and 3‐D Gravity Modeling |
| title_sort | geometry of the deep calabrian subduction central mediterranean sea from wide angle seismic data and 3 d gravity modeling |
| topic | Ionian Basin wide‐angle seismic gravity crustal structure seismicity tomography |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GC008586 |
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