Saleh, S. and Badawy, Ahmed (2006): 3D crustal modeling and seismicity of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Egyptian coastal zone

Leg/Site/Hole:
ODP 160
Identifier:
2008-086987
georefid

10.1556/AGeod.41.2006.1.8
doi

Creator:
Saleh, S.
National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics, Cairo, Egypt
author

Badawy, Ahmed
author

Identification:
3D crustal modeling and seismicity of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Egyptian coastal zone
2006
Acta Geodaetica et Geophysica Hungarica
Akademiai Kiado, Budapest, Hungary
41
1
101-116
Three-dimensional gravity modeling has been performed for the Eastern Mediterranean including the northeastern Egyptian off-shore area. The gravity models and seismic profiles indicate that a transition from two layer continental crust to a simple layer oceanic crust takes a place along the Levantine margin. The transition along three profiles is located beyond the north African continental margin and it is quite gradual. The crust under the Levantine basin is typically oceanic and slightly thin with 13 km thickness, however it is typical continental under the Egyptian off-shore and having 30 km thickness. The obtained results reflect a large sedimentary sequence of 14 km under the Levantine basin. Since the sediments recovered by the Oceanic Drilling Program Leg 160 in the eastern Mediterranean ranged from Pleistocene to Cretaceous, this reflects fairly high sedimentation rate. Distribution of recent earthquake foci indicates that almost all earthquakes occurred along the western and central segments of the Cyprean arc while they completely disappear along the eastern segment. This means that collision between Cyprus and the Eratosthenes seamount is marked by seismic activity and clearly affects the shape of the Cyprean arc. This collision represents a transition zone between active compression and probable subduction in the western segment and diffuse transtension through the eastern part of the arc. Incipient collision between Cyprus and Eratosthenes seamount probably began in Pleistocene time.
English
Serial
Coverage:Geographic coordinates:
North:36.0000
West:30.0000East: 36.0000
South:28.0000

Solid-earth geophysics; Seismology; Africa; Asia; Cenozoic; compression; continental margin; Cyprus; East Mediterranean; Egypt; Eratosthenes Seamount; gravity field; Leg 160; Levantine Basin; Mediterranean Sea; Middle East; North Africa; numerical models; Ocean Drilling Program; offshore; plate collision; plate tectonics; Pleistocene; Quaternary; seismicity; three-dimensional models; transition zones;

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