A crustal structure study of Jordan derived from seismic refraction data

El-Isa, Z. H.; Mechie, J.; Prodehl, C.; Makris, J.; Rihm, R.

doi:10.1016/0040-1951(87)90042-4

Cited by 120 publications

(84 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…7). Our observation is consistent with previous seismic and gravity results [18,19]. Rodgers et al [20] studied the receiver functions for RUWJ, however, they did not report the RUWJ results but did mention that the complexity in the crustal response is probably due to shallow structure and site effects.…”

Section: Ruwjsupporting

confidence: 92%

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Crustal structure of the Arabian plate: new constraints from the analysis of teleseismic receiver functions

Aldamegh¹,

Sandvol²,

Barazangi³

2005

Earth and Planetary Science Letters

136

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We also employed a grid search waveform modeling technique to estimate the crustal velocity structure for seven stations. A jackknife re-sampling approach was used to estimate errors in the grid search results for three stations. In addition to our results, we have also included published receiver function results from two temporary networks in the Arabian shield and Oman as well as three permanent GSN stations in the region.The average crustal thickness of the late Proterozoic Arabian shield is 39 km. The crust thins to about 23 km along the Red Sea coast and to about 25 km along the margin of the Gulf of Aqaba. In the northern part of the Arabian platform, the crust varies from 33 -37 km thick.However, the crust is thicker (41 -53 km) in the southeastern part of the platform. There is a dramatic change in crustal thickness between the topographic escarpment of the Arabian shield and the shorelines of the Red Sea. We compared our results in the Arabian shield to nine other Proterozoic and Archean shields that include reasonably well-determined Moho depths, mostly based on receiver functions. The average crustal thickness for all shields is 39 km, while the average for Proterozoic shields is 40 km, and the average for Archean shields is 38 km. We found the crustal thickness of Proterozoic shields to vary between 33 and 44 km, while Archean shields vary between 32 and 47 km. Overall, we do not observe a significant difference between Proterozoic and Archean crustal thickness. 3We observed a dramatic change in crustal thickness along the Red Sea margin that occurs over a very short distance. We projected our results over a cross section extending from the Red Sea ridge to the shield escarpment and contrasted it with a typical Atlantic margin. The transition from oceanic to continental crust of the Red Sea margin occurs over a distance of about 250 km, while the transition along a typical portion of the western Atlantic margin occurs at a distance of about 450 km. This important new observation highlights the abruptness of the breakup of Arabia. We argue that a preexisting zone of weakness coupled with anomalously hot upper mantle could have initiated and expedited the breakup.

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Section: Ruwjsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…In the northern and northwestern part of the platform, the crust seems to vary between 33 and 40 km [18][19][20][21]. Surface waves as well as regional waveform modeling indicate that on average the Arabian shield crust is 40 -45 km thick, slightly thicker than the average crust for most shields on earth [22][23][24].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Crustal structure of the Arabian plate: new constraints from the analysis of teleseismic receiver functions

Aldamegh¹,

Sandvol²,

Barazangi³

2005

Earth and Planetary Science Letters

136

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“…Based on analysis of geophysical well logs and well cores, an average reduction density of 2.53 g/cm3 was used in the calculation of the Bouguer anomaly. Results from a refraction study to the south in Jordan (El-Isa et al, 1987) were used for an initial estimate of crustal thickness for the gravity models. The variation in the long wavelength components of the Bouguer gravity were then used to model variations in the thickness and/or density of the crustal section, an unresolvable ambiguity because of the lack of deep crustal information, such as regional seismic refraction data, in Syria.…”

Section: Gravity Data and Modelingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Crustal structure of central Syria: The intracontinental Palmyride mountain belt

et al. 1992

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Along a 450 km transect across central Syria seismic reflection data, borehole information, potential field data and surface geologic mapping have been combined to examine the crustal structure of the northern Arabian platform beneath Syria. The transect is surrounded by the major plate boundaries of the Middle East, including the Dead Sea transform fault system along the Levantine margin to the west, the Bitlis suture and East Anatolian fault to the north, and the Zagros collisional belt to the northeast and east. Three main tectonic provinces of the northern Arabian platform in Syria are crossed by this transect from south to north: the Rutbah uplift, the Palmyra fold-thrust belt, and the Aleppo plateau. The Rutbah uplift in southern Syria is a broad, domal basement-cored structure with a thick Phanerozoic (mostly Paleozoic) cover of 6-7 km. Isopachs based on well and seismic reflection data indicate that this region was an early Paleozoic depocenter. The Palmyra fold-thrust belt, the northeastern arm of the Syrian Arc, is a northeastsouthwest trending intracontinental mountain belt that acts as a mobile tectonic zone between the relatively stable Rutbah uplift to the south and the less stable Aleppo plateau to the north. Short wavelength en echelon folds characterized by relatively steep, faulted southeast flanks dominate in the southwest, most strongly deformed segment of the belt, while a complex system of deeply rooted faults and broad folds characterize the northeast region, described in this study. The Aleppo plateau lies immediately north of the Palmyride belt, with a combined Paleozoic and Mesozoic sedimentary section that averages 4-5 km in thickness. Although this region appears relatively undeformed on seismic reflection data when compared to Palmyride deformation, a system of near vertical, probable strike-slip faults crosscut the region in a dominantly northeasterly direction.Gravity and magnetic modeling constrains the deep crustal structure along the transect. The crustal thickness is estimated to be approximately 38 km. Interpretation of the gravity data indicates two different crustal blocks beneath the Rutbah uplift and the Aleppo plateau, and the presence of a crustal-penetrating, high-density body beneath the northeast 2 Palmyrides. The two distinct crustal blocks suggest that they were accreted possibly along a suture zone and/or a major strike-slip fault zone located approximately in the present-day position of the Palmyrides. The age of the accretion is estimated to be Proterozoic or early Cambrian, based on the observation of a pervasive reflection (interpreted as the Middle Cambrian Burj limestone) in the Rutbah uplift and in the Aleppo plateau and by analogy with the well-mapped Proterozoic sutures of the Arabian shield to the south.

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“…The gravitational model is also supported by refraction data in the areas not affected by the rifting event (Makris et al, 1983;El-Isa et al, 1987). The Moho topography magnetic model shows a poor flattening especially in the eastern region (e.g., Gaulier et al (1988); Saleh et al (2006)).…”

Section: Figmentioning

confidence: 68%

“…The Moho is found at a relatively shallow depth of 18 to 20 km and at a mean depth of 30 to 35 km both under southern Sinai and Eastern Desert plateaus (Gaulier et al, 1988;Saleh et al, 2006). Refraction data indicate the Moho depth of 35 to 40 km in the areas not affected by the rifting event (Ginzburg et al, 1981;Makris et al, 1983;Gettings et al, 1986;El-Isa et al, 1987). The anomalous nature of the upper mantle (8.0 km/s) and the thinning of the crust beneath the northern Red Sea rift are well known from the results of seismic and gravity studies.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gravity and magnetic data inversion for 3D topography of the Moho discontinuity in the northern Red Sea area, Egypt

Prutkin¹,

Saleh²

2009

Journal of Geodynamics

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Please cite this article as: Prutkin, I., Saleh, A., Gravity and magnetic data inversion for 3D topography of the Moho discontinuity in the northern Red Sea area, Egypt, Journal of Geodynamics (2008Geodynamics ( ), doi:10.1016Geodynamics ( /j.jog.2008 This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. Page 1 of 19A c c e p t e d M a n u s c r i p t AbstractThe main goal of our study is to investigate 3D topography of the Moho boundary for the area of the northern Red Sea including Gulf of Suez and Gulf of Aqaba. For potential field data inversion we apply a new method of local corrections. The method is efficient and does not require trial-and-error forward modeling. To separate sources of gravity and magnetic field in depth, a method is suggested, based on upward and downward continuation. Both new methods are applied to isolate the contribution of the Moho interface to the total field and to find its 3D topography. At the first stage, we separate near-surface and deeper sources. According to the obtained field of shallow sources a model of the horizontal layer above the depth of 7 km is suggested, which includes a density interface between light sediments and crystalline basement. Its depressions and uplifts correspond to known geological structures. At the next stage, we isolate the effect of very deep sources (below 100 km) and sources outside the area of investigation. After subtracting this field from the total effect of deeper sources, we obtain the contribution of the Moho interface. We make inversion separately for the area of rifts (Red Sea, Gulf of Suez and Gulf of Aqaba) and for the rest of the area. In the rift area we look for the upper boundary of low-density, heated anomalous upper mantle. In the rest of the area the field is satisfied by means of topography for the interface between lower crust and normal upper mantle. Both algorithms are applied also to the magnetic field. The magnetic model of the Moho boundary is in agreement with the gravitational one.

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A crustal structure study of Jordan derived from seismic refraction data

Cited by 120 publications

References 14 publications

Crustal structure of the Arabian plate: new constraints from the analysis of teleseismic receiver functions

Crustal structure of the Arabian plate: new constraints from the analysis of teleseismic receiver functions

Crustal structure of central Syria: The intracontinental Palmyride mountain belt

Gravity and magnetic data inversion for 3D topography of the Moho discontinuity in the northern Red Sea area, Egypt

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