The Influence of the North Anatolian Fault and a Fragmenting Slab Architecture on Upper Mantle Seismic Anisotropy in the Eastern Mediterranean

Merry, Thomas; Bastow, I. D.; Kounoudis, R.; Ogden, C. S.; Bell, Rebecca; Jones, L.D.

doi:10.1029/2021gc009896

Cited by 14 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 149 publications

(502 reference statements)

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“…Such directed long-wavelength mantle flow penetrates just below the crust, through a potential channel, between presumably pieces of the broken Neotethys slab and/or the remnant fragments of the delaminated East Anatolian lithosphere, while generating positive dynamic topography in the plateau and the Greater Caucasus. A detailed analysis of seismic anisotropy is beyond the scope of the study, but in concordance with the Mediterranean scale studies (e.g., Faccenna et al, 2014), the main pattern of the upper mantle flow is compatible with a SW-NE oriented fast axis polarization estimated by shear-wave splitting anisotropy observations (Lemnifi et al, 2017;Merry et al, 2021;Paul et al, 2014;Sandvol et al, 2003). The vectors turn westward with relatively small magnitudes in the Anatolian block in T-1 (for the depth of ≤200 km, Figure 7c), which is more sensitive to small-scale uppermost mantle bodies (Figure 7a).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 78%

Geodynamics of East Anatolia‐Caucasus Domain: Inferences From 3D Thermo‐Mechanical Models, Residual Topography, and Admittance Function Analyses

et al. 2021

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The East Anatolian Plateau, the (Lesser and Greater) Caucasus, and the north Arabian Platform are among the most tectonically active areas within the Arabian-Eurasian convergence zone in the eastern Mediterranean and provide a unique opportunity to investigate active mantle processes and their surface response(s). The region is located along the central segment of the Alpine-Himalayan orogenic belt where two major suture zones mark the remnants of the former Neotethys ocean subduction system (Figure 1a). Specifically, the Bitlis-Zagros suture zone to the south separates the Anatolide-Tauride block from the Arabian Plate (the southern branch of the Neotethyan subduction) and the Izmir-Ankara-Erzincan-Sevan-Akera (IAESA) suture marks the northern border of the East Anatolian Plateau. Geodetic studies indicate that the Africa-Arabian plate is currently moving northward with an average convergence velocity of 15 mm/yr relative to stable Eurasia (Figure 1a). This movement is accommodated by the NE-directed GPS vectors with the relatively small lateral displacements north of the IAESA suture zone while the westward escape with increasing plate convergence rates prevails in the Anatolian block (e.g., McClusky et al., 2000;Reilinger et al., 2006).The geodynamic origin of the relatively rapid surface uplift (>2 km since ∼20 Ma) and magmatism of the Anatolian block has been explained by lithospheric thinning and related mantle processes (e.g.,

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 78%

Geodynamics of East Anatolia‐Caucasus Domain: Inferences From 3D Thermo‐Mechanical Models, Residual Topography, and Admittance Function Analyses

et al. 2021

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“…More local-scale seismic tomographic models along the NAF interpret it as a plate-scale shear zone (Fichtner et al, 2013;Papaleo et al, 2017Papaleo et al, , 2018 that developed along the Intra-Pontide and İzmir-Ankara-Erzincan sutures. The interpretation that the NAF is a plate-scale feature is also supported by the Merry et al (2021) SKS splitting study: they observe back-azimuthally dependent splitting parameters at stations along the fault as evidence for both lithospheric (fault-related) and asthenospheric (mantle flow) causes of anisotropy. Intriguingly, modelled lithospheric fast polarization directions lie either close to fault strike, or between fault strike and the axis of maximum extensional strain rate, consistent with a relatively low-strain strike-slip mantle shear zone at the 13-11 Ma NAF (Merry et al, 2021).…”

Section: Previous Geophysical Studiesmentioning

confidence: 57%

“…Portner et al, 2018;Kounoudis et al, 2020;Confal et al, 2020) attribute slow-wavespeeds in the southern-central Anatolian uppermost mantle to buoyant asthenospheric flow through a tear in the underlying Cyprus slab. Corroborating the vertical asthenospheric flow hypothesisis further, Merry et al (2021) found null SKS shear-wave splitting observations in and around the CAVP (Figure 1).…”

Section: Previous Geophysical Studiesmentioning

confidence: 74%

“…For example, in addition to previously-reported evidence for flow through the gap between the Cyprus and Hellenic slabs (e.g. Paul et al, 2014;Confal et al, 2018), Merry et al (2021) found null measurements below the CAVP, which they interpreted as vertical asthenospheric flow.…”

Section: Previous Geophysical Studiesmentioning

confidence: 77%

“…They suggest that this transition may mark the northern limit of heated, weakened, partly delaminated Anatolian mantle lithosphere with contrasting colder, stronger Eurasian lithosphere to the north. Furthermore, shear-wave splitting measurements from stations near the NAF, display back-azimuthal dependence and short-length-scale variations that require fault-imparted lithospheric anisotropy (Merry et al, 2021). We therefore contend it is mantle lithospheric, not crustal, heterogeneity that has likely governed the development of the NAF.…”

Section: Implications For Crustal Structure Across the Eaf And Nafmentioning

confidence: 92%

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The crustal structure of the Anatolian Plate from receiver functions and implications for the uplift of the central and eastern Anatolian plateaus

Ogden

Bastow

2021

Geophysical Journal International

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Summary Understanding the crustal structure of the Anatolian Plate has important implications for its formation and evolution, including the extent to which its high elevation is maintained isostatically. However, the numerous teleseismic receiver function studies from which Anatolian Moho depths have been obtained return results that differ by ≤21 km at some seismograph stations. To address this issue, we determine Moho depth and bulk crustal VP/VS ratio (κ) at 582 broadband seismograph stations, including ∼100 for which H-κ results have not been reported previously. We use a modified H-κ stacking method in which a final solution is selected from a suite of up to 1000 repeat H-κ measurements, each calculated using randomly-selected receiver functions and H-κ input parameters. Ten quality control criteria that variously assess the final numerical result, the receiver function data set, and the extent to which the results are clustered tightly, are used to determine station quality. By refining Moho depth constraints, including identifying 182 stations, analysed previously, where H-κ stacking yields unreliable results (particularly in Eastern Anatolia and the rapidly-uplifting Taurides), our new crustal model (ANATOLIA-HK21) provides fresh insight into Anatolian crustal structure and topography. Changes in Moho depth within the Anatolian Plate occur on a shorter length-scale than has sometimes previously been assumed. For example, crustal thickness decreases abruptly from >40 km in the northern Kirsehir block to <32 km beneath the Central Anatolian Volcanic Province and Tuz Golu basin. Moho depth increases from 30-35 km on the Arabian Plate to 35-40 km across the East Anatolian Fault into Anatolia, in support of structural geological observations that Arabia-Anatolia crustal shortening was accommodated primarily on the Anatolian, not Arabian, Plate. However, there are no consistent changes in Moho depth across the North Anatolian Fault, whose development along the Intra-Pontide and İzmir-Ankara-Erzincan suture zones was more likely the result of contrasts in mantle lithospheric, not crustal, structure. While the crust thins from ∼45 km below the uplifted Eastern Anatolian Plateau to ∼25 km below lower-lying western Anatolia, Moho depth is generally correlated poorly with elevation. Residual topography calculations confirm the requirement for a mantle contribution to Anatolian Plateau uplift, with localised asthenospheric upwellings in response to slab break-off and/or lithospheric dripping/delamination example candidate driving mechanisms.

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Comparative analysis of CAMS aerosol optical depth data and AERONET observations in the Eastern Mediterranean over 19 years

Tuna Tuygun,

Elbir

2024

Environ Sci Pollut Res

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Aerosol optical depth (AOD) is an essential metric for evaluating the atmospheric aerosol load and its impacts on climate, air quality, and public health. In this study, the AOD data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) were validated against ground-based measurements from the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) throughout the Eastern Mediterranean, a region characterized by diverse aerosol types and sources. A comparative analysis was performed on 3-hourly CAMS AOD values at 550 nm against observations from 20 AERONET stations across Cyprus, Greece, Israel, Egypt, and Turkey from 2003 to 2021. The CAMS AOD data exhibited a good overall agreement with AERONET AOD data, demonstrated by a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.77, a mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.08, and a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.11. Nonetheless, spatial and temporal variations were observed in the CAMS AOD data performance, with site-specific correlation coefficients ranging from 0.57 to 0.85, the lowest correlations occurring in Egypt and the highest in Greece. An underestimation of CAMS AOD was noted at inland sites with high AOD levels, while a better agreement was observed at coastal sites with lower AOD levels. The diurnal variation analysis indicated improved CAMS reanalysis performance during the afternoon and evening hours. Seasonally, CAMS reanalysis showed better agreement with AERONET AODs in spring and autumn, with lower correlation coefficients noted in summer and winter. This study marks the first comprehensive validation of CAMS AOD performance in the Eastern Mediterranean, offering significant enhancements for regional air quality and climate modeling, and underscores the essential role of consistent validation in refining aerosol estimations within this complex and dynamic geographic setting.

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The Influence of the North Anatolian Fault and a Fragmenting Slab Architecture on Upper Mantle Seismic Anisotropy in the Eastern Mediterranean

Cited by 14 publications

References 149 publications

Geodynamics of East Anatolia‐Caucasus Domain: Inferences From 3D Thermo‐Mechanical Models, Residual Topography, and Admittance Function Analyses

Geodynamics of East Anatolia‐Caucasus Domain: Inferences From 3D Thermo‐Mechanical Models, Residual Topography, and Admittance Function Analyses

The crustal structure of the Anatolian Plate from receiver functions and implications for the uplift of the central and eastern Anatolian plateaus

Comparative analysis of CAMS aerosol optical depth data and AERONET observations in the Eastern Mediterranean over 19 years

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