Seismic refraction profiles between Cyprus and Israel and their interpretation

Abstract

Seismic refraction profiles between Cyprus and Israel and their interpretation J, M a k r i s r n s t i t u t e

Multi-phased uplift of the southern margin of the Central Anatolian plateau, Turkey: A record of tectonic and upper mantle processes

“…28 km of continental crust (Aal et al, 2001;Ben-Avraham et al, 2002), Cyprus is underlain by ca. 35 km of continental crust (Makris et al, 1983), and to the southeast of the seamount there is either oceanic crust (Ben-Avraham et al, 2002) or highly attenuated continental crust (Gardosh and Druckman, 2006). The collision zone, which has been described as a N-dipping subduction zone (Woodside, 1977), has been more recently interpreted to be accommodating initial collision between the African and Eurasian plates (Robertson, 1998), possibly as a restraining bend along a continent-continent interface (Harrison et al, 2008).…”

Eratosthenes Seamount: the possible spearhead of incipient continental collision in the Eastern Mediterranean

“…Seismic refraction reveals that the Eratosthenes Seamount is underlain by a continental crust greater than 20 km thick, which is comparable to that of Cyprus and the southern Levant coast. The thickness of the Eratosthenes crust, which includes a significant layer with seismic velocities below 6.7 km/s, is in contrast to the thinned, high-velocity crust that occurs elsewhere in the southeastern Mediterranean (Makris et al, 1983). Although the lack of pronounced Bouguer gravity expression may rule out a lower crust root or flexural response to the topographic load (Woodside, 1976;Woodside et al, 1992;Makris and Wang, 1994), the differences in the velocity structure and thickness suggest a continental block within a zone of thinned-continental or oceanic crust (Garfunkel and Derin, 1984;Kempler and Ben-Avraham, 1987a).…”

“…The proximity of the paleomagnetic poles indicates that the deviation of the magnetic vector from the north is a result of the overall motion of Africa since early Mesozoic time rather than local rotation. The location and dimensions of the Eratosthenes structural high coincide with both the continental block in the seismic refraction profile and the estimated magnetized body beneath the Eratosthenes Seamount (Ben- Avraham et al, 1976;Makris et al, 1983). Therefore, we suggest that this structure represents the Mesozoic basement of the complex Eratosthenes structure.…”

Evolution of the Levant margin and western Arabia platform since the Mesozoic: introduction

“…This is supported by crustal thinning from 30 -35 km on the African and Arabian continents to c. 8 km below the LB overlain by a 10-14 km thick sedimentary pile of Mesozoic (and Permian?) to present age (Makris et al 1983;Ginzburg & Ben-Avraham 1987;Vidal et al 2000;BenAvraham et al 2002). The affinity of the crust below the LB is regarded either as a highly stretched continent (Woodside 1977;Hirsch et al 1995;Vidal et al 2000) or as oceanic (Makris et al 1983;Ginzburg & Ben-Avraham 1987;Ben-Avraham et al 2002).…”

“…to present age (Makris et al 1983;Ginzburg & Ben-Avraham 1987;Vidal et al 2000;BenAvraham et al 2002). The affinity of the crust below the LB is regarded either as a highly stretched continent (Woodside 1977;Hirsch et al 1995;Vidal et al 2000) or as oceanic (Makris et al 1983;Ginzburg & Ben-Avraham 1987;Ben-Avraham et al 2002). Shallow-marine conditions prevailed in the basin during Triassic and Liasic times, later followed by the formation of the deep-marine basin (Bartov & Steinitz 1977;Garfunkel 1998).…”